Calcium Recommendations for College Women and Men

by Jeff Ebert, UNL Nutrition 453

Is calcium even necessary for a college-age student? According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, college-age individuals need at least 1000mg of calcium each day. This amount of calcium can be obtained from three servings of milk products consumed daily. The benefit of consuming milk and milk products on a daily basis is shown through the positive relationship between the intake of calcium containing dairy products and bone mineral density. This means your bones and body need calcium to stay healthy and function properly.

A concern is that students avoid dairy products for fear of gaining weight. But, the solution is the availability of many reduced-fat and fat-free milk and milk products as well as those without added sugars.

What if a college student is lactose intolerant? The most reliable and easiest way to get the health benefits associated with milk and milk products is to choose alternatives within the milk food group, such as yogurt or lactose-free milk, to take an lactase enzyme pill before consuming a dairy food, and to try different types of aged hard cheese.

A college-age student needs calcium and including a variety of milk and milk products in a nutrition plan is a great way to meet that need.

While the fat content of different types of milk varies, the content of other important nutrients in milk is relatively the same. So, by selecting the lower fat types of milk, you will get the nutrients of milk with less fat and calories.

www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines