NUTRITION & THE ELDERLY: CALCIUM AND BONE HEALTH

Older adults have chronic diseases (as many as 85 percent) that could benefit from nutritional interventions. Improved nutritional status in osteoporosis patients decreases fractures and associated morbidity. The role of calcium nutrition in bone health has been established.

Osteoporosis is stated as a disease of bone fragility; more than 25 million Americans are afflicted with it per year, with a cost to the United States of approximately 13.8 billion per year. Patients with osteoporosis tend to be older and malnourished who are in need of nutrition assessment and intervention. Nutrients of interest include calcium, salt, and protein. The National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Panel on optimal calcium intake have recommended adequate dietary calcium for all age groups. Studies show that high calcium intake reduces bone loss in postmenopausal women and it reduces the incidence of fractures in those who had previous breaks (Packard & Heaney, 1997).

Osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are noted as the most common diseases of bones and joints; older women are the most affected by both. Risks for both include bone density factors. Higher bone density may increase and osteoporotic bone may decrease; studies show that women with moderate to severe radiographic hip osteoarthritis had higher bone mineral density in hip, spine, and appendicular skeleton than women w

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t 122 mg of calcium, absorption is around 5 percent. Oxalic acid in spinach is thought to interfere with calcium absorption. Calcium absorption from a cup of milk is about 25 percent to 35 percent. Around 40 percent of the calcium in kale is absorbed. Calcium supplements such as chewable tablets or tablets labeled as meeting US Pharmacopeia standards for disintegration are recommended; absorption is optimal when calcium supplements are taken with meals and ingestion is spread throughout the day (Packard & Heaney, 1997). Ulrich, Georgiou, Snow-Harter, and Gillis (1996) studied the relationship between lifetime milk consumption, calcium intake from supplements, lifetime weight-bearing exercise, and bone mineral density (BMD). Subjects were 25 elderly women and their premenopausal daughters. Findings showed that calcium supplementation and exogenous estrogen positively influenced bone mass in postmenopausal years. Results also demonstrated that effects of behavioral and hormonal factors on BMD dominated over familial similarity. This implies that women may enhance their genetically determined bone mass with weight-bearing exercise, postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy, and adequate calcium intake. Attention to oth
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Approximate Word count = 1651
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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