Calcium: When You TakeIt, It Works (NAPSA)—Calcium has been recommended and widely accepted as an essential mineral for bone and skeletal health and numerous body functions—regulating heart- beat, conducting nerve impulses, stimulating hormonal secretions and clotting the blood. Now, some conflicting and potentially misleading research is threatening to negate the efficacy of this vital mineral. One factor that the study, pub- lished by the Women’s Health Ini- tiative, got right was that the government’s recommended daily dosage is necessary to receive the benefits associated with calcium consumption and supplementation. Yet more than half of the study participants did not adhere to the recommended calcium supplemen- tation, making improvements in bone density a nearly impossible result. Meanwhile, those that did comply experienced a whopping 29 percent lower risk of hip fractures. Americans, both young andold, are failing to meet calcium intake requirements and the incidence of osteoporosis is climbing. During adolescent and teenage years, when 45 percent of bone mass is formed, meeting calcium requirements is essential. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, however, only 10 percent of teenage girls and 30 percent of teenage boys are meeting adequate calcium intake, which places them at serious risk for stunted growth, bone disease and, eventually, osteoporosis. Calcium is available through dairy products and green, leafy Gourmet chocolate supplements are the latest way to get the recommended daily dose of calcium. vegetables—yet incorporating adequate amounts into a modern, hectic lifestyle, regardless of age, is often unrealistic. Calcium-fortified foods and supplements, how- ever, can fill the gap. “It’s very important that people do take a supplementif they’re not getting enough calcium in their diet,” says Nicholina Galinsky, R.N. “Unfortunately, most of us are not aware that we have osteoporosis until we break a bone.” Adora”, a new calcium supple- ment, is made with milk and dark chocolate. Each chocolate disk contains 500 mg of elemental calcium, along with 100 international units of vitamin D and 40 micrograms of vitamin K, which aids absorption. In addition, the supplements taste like gourmet chocolate, which makes sense since the manufacturer, Thomp- son Brands, is a candy maker, not a pharmaceutical company. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.adoracalcium.com.
