DRINK UP: JUNE CELEBRATES NATIONAL DAIRY MONTH

Bad things happen to people who don't get enough calcium. This applies to both sexes and all ages, from small children to older people, especially older women.

The solution: Consume lots of milk and other dairy products. June is an especially appropriate time to do so because June is National Dairy Month, a designation that began officially in 1939.

Ironically, it appears that the price of milk may be headed up. Dairy industry analysts say that because of higher dairy feed prices and lower milk production, milk may cost $3 per gallon by fall.

However, because of the amount of calcium needed daily, drinking milk and consuming other dairy products regularly is the one sure way of getting sufficient calcium.

What happens when the body doesn't get enough calcium? Basically, if there isn't enough taken in from food, the body will remove calcium from the bones to meet its needs. This results in weak, brittle and eventually broken bones.

According to the St. Louis Dairy Council, because calcium is essential for other critical bodily functions -- controlling blood pressure, maintaining the heart beat, clotting the blood, contracting and relaxing muscles and normal nerve transmission -- the body takes it from whatever source is available. If the bones are the only source, then the bones suffer.

The critical time for consuming calcium is the early childhood and teen years because calcium is stored then, much like money in the bank, for later use.

Judy Lueders, nutrition specialist with University Extension, said that most of the calcium is stored in our bodies by age 30. In going through the teenage years, she said, you not only are adding length to the bones but you're also trying to make them as dense as possible.

"The more calcium you get in the teen years," she said, "the better it will be, not only for strong bones then, but for later use when your body needs it."

How much calcium is enough?

First, consider an 8-ounce glass (one cup) of milk as the standard serving. Next, remember that an 8-ounce serving of milk contains about 300 milligrams of calcium.

Now, note that an infant aged birth to six months needs 400 mg of calcium per day, while the requirement from six months to one year is 600 mg. A child from one-10 years of age needs 800 mg per day.

However, the calcium requirement for adolescents (11-18 years) jumps dramatically. They require 1,200 mg daily. That's four eight-ounce glasses of milk or the equivalent.

This period of growth is critical for bone building, says the Dairy Council, because 20 percent of adult height is achieved then. If sufficient calcium is not taken in, some children may not reach their expected adult height.

"To achieve maximum height," said Lueders, "you simply must have the material to put length on the bones. You just can't build the bones without the basic material, which is calcium."

Also, adolescence is when almost half of adult bone mass, or density, is formed. During this period, calcium is stored in the bones. This "bone bank" of stored calcium may help prevent later bone problems, such as osteoporosis, because there will be more to withdraw from the "bank."

It is becoming fairly common knowledge that older women have greater problems with calcium absorption than men. In younger women, estrogen helps the body absorb calcium, but because of decreasing estrogen levels during menopause, women lose bone density faster than men, and become susceptible to fragile and broken bones.

Thus, it is essential that women ensure adequate intake of calcium at all ages, especially early in life so that they may bank adequate amounts for later needs.

"The problem we see with young ladies is that, because they are so weight conscious, they pass up milk so they can use the calories for something more appealing," said Lueders. "They drink a diet soda or eat a candy bar."

Boys, said Lueders, tend to be much less weight conscious and thus eat more of everything and come much closer to meeting their calcium needs.

Another time of special need for calcium intake is pregnancy. The prenatal child needs sufficient calcium for good bone and teeth development. The pregnant and breastfeeding mother needs 1,200-1,500 mg daily to supply both the baby's and her own calcium needs.

And women over 50 need from 1,000 to 1,500 mg per day.

Finally, an important way of increasing calcium absorption is by regular weight-bearing exercise. Activities such as tennis, power-walking and even dancing are important to helping build better bones.