More than 80 percent of middle-aged Taiwanese are not meeting their recommended daily intake of calcium, a nutritionist at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Nantou Hospital said on Thursday.
Citing National Taiwan Normal University research results, nutritionist Chen Chia-chi (陳佳祺) said that more than 92 percent of women over the age of 50 have subpar bone density, and more than 80 percent of men also fail to meet the standard bone density ratio.
Just in central Taiwan, more than 82 percent of people over the age of 50 fail to meet the standard, she said.
Health Promotion Administration (HPA) guidelines recommend that the average adult consume 1,000mg of calcium, or about 1.5 cups worth of dairy products, per day, Chen said.
A national nutrition survey, conducted from 2013 to 2016 by the HPA, showed that people 65 and older on average only consumed 0.4 to 0.7 cups of dairy products per day, far below the recommended daily intake, Chen said.
Insufficient calcium intake combined with decreased physical activity and reduced exposure to sunlight results in vitamin D deficiency, which is a primary reason for the reduction of bone density, she said.
Chen recommended a balanced diet along with adequate exposure to sunlight to help the body absorb calcium and improve bone density.
Nantou Hospital nutritionist Huang Shu-min (黃淑敏) said that people can make a calcium-rich drink at home by mixing 15g of black sesame, three spoonfuls of oatmeal and 240ml of milk in a blender.
Oatmeal is rich in dietary fiber and is a “filling” food, making it an apt supplement, Huang said.
Sesame and milk are rich in calcium and together in the drink should total 450mg of calcium, easily meeting the recommended daily intake, she said.
Milk is also rich in vitamin D and drinking it ensures the sufficient intake of protein and lipids, she added.
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