Want Calcium, Choose Soy!
Health professionals and scientists agree calcium is one of the most important minerals for the human body. Calcium helps builds strong bones and teeth. As bones grow and age, the body continually removes and replaces small amounts of calcium. Eating certain foods rich in calcium and vitamin D strengthens bones and teeth and protects against osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become fragile and more likely to break. More recent research suggests that dietary calcium may have an important role in weight loss, controlling blood pressure, preventing colon and prostate cancer, and decreasing the risk of developing kidney stones.
More than 40 million Americans—80 percent of them women—suffer from osteoporosis. This disease progresses painlessly until a bone breaks; typically in the hip, spine, or wrist. Preventing osteoporosis starts at an early age. It is essential for adolescents, women over 50, pregnant and lactating women, and men over 65 years of age to consume between 1,000 and 1,300 mg of calcium per day, which is equal to 3 to 4 servings of soymilk (soy milk) a day. For optimal skeletal health, the amount of calcium the body requires depends on the calcium status of the body, hormones, medications, age, pregnancy, exercise, genetic factors, and vitamin D status.
Calcium is found in dairy products and calcium-fortified products. Soymilk (soy milk), soy yogurt, and soy cheese are all examples of calcium-fortified products that are also low in saturated fat and cholesterol-free. Most soymilks (soy milks) on the market today are fortified with calcium and vitamin D at levels equal to cow’s milk. In addition, the majority of soymilks are fortified with vitamin A and vitamin B12. Soymilk (soy milk), tofu, soy cheese, soy yogurt, and whole soybeans are all excellent sources of calcium.
Studies suggest that soy foods promote bone health and help prevent osteoporosis. Researchers report a lower incidence of osteoporosis in Japan, where soy foods are eaten frequently, compared to Western countries such as the United States, where soy consumption is lower. A recent large-scale study published in Archives of Internal Medicine showed that modest soy consumption resulted in a significant decrease in bone fractures in post-menopausal women. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition confirmed that the calcium carbonate found in most soymilks (soy milks) is absorbed by the body as readily as the calcium found in dairy milk. To ensure maximum calcium absorption from soymilks (soy milks), it is important to follow the direction on the label, and SHAKE WELL BEFORE SERVING.
Enhance your daily calcium intake with these great soy products:
- 8 oz. of fortified soymilk packs 368mg of calcium, or 37% of the daily value for 2000 calories daily.
- 6 oz. of creamy soy yogurt provides 300mg of calcium, or 30% of the daily value.
- You can get 250mg of calcium, 25% of the daily value, from a ½ cup of tofu.
- A ½ cup of green whole soybeans has 130mg of calcium, 13% of the daily value.
- Soy cheese provides 106mg of calcium, or 11% of the daily value.
- A ¼ cup of soy nuts has 60mg of calcium, 6% of the daily value.
- Snack on ½ cup of edamame and you gain 49mg of calcium, or 5% of the daily value.
