We all know that not all that glitters is gold, that is why one must not be so easily led to what the nutritional labels show in the great variety of drinks that are currently available for children and teenagers, when they say that they are fortified with calcium.

One new and recent study published in the magazine Nutrition Today finds that over 75% of the calcium added to popular drinks, such as soy drinks and orange juice, remain at the bottom of the package, as reported in the website www.gotmilk.com.

The researchers concluded that this fact can make consumers discard these products, which ultimately promises more calcium than what they actually have.

The three physicians from the University of Creighton who led the study found that, in spite of shaking vigorously, the calcium added to fortify these drinks remain at the bottom of the container.  For the nutrients to mix and be consumed, we would need the power of a paint mixer, they said.

In the study led by the Osteoporosis Research Center in Creighton, 14 different drinks fortified with calcium:  soy, rice, orange juice, etc., and non-fortified were compared with skim milk.

From all the drinks studied, the researchers concluded that milk is the safest source to obtain calcium.

 “Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body.  The human body contains about 1200g of calcium, and there is an important and continuous daily mobilization of 700mg of this mineral, which is exchanged and re-absorbed by the bones.  That is the importance of its consumption during the development stages, for bones to grow healthy and to remain strong”, said Yuraima Díaz, CoopeCoronado Quality Manager.

 “In addition, calcium participates in other functions of the human body, such as blood coagulation, regulation of enzymatic systems, and the nervous excitability and muscular contraction control.  When there is not enough calcium in the blood, the body takes it from the bones; bone calcium is re-established by taking calcium-rich foods in the diet, thus keeping the balance between the blood and the bone”, added Díaz.

In the last 20 or 30 years, there has been a change in milk as a standard drink during meal time.  The studies demonstrate an alarming 86% of girls and 64% of boys that are not consuming enough calcium daily; this lack is equivalent to four glasses of milk per day.

There are important sources of calcium that helps re-establish bone calcium.  Coronado offers calcium-rich products, such as long lasting whole milk, powdered whole milk, semi-skimmed milk, long lasting flavored milk, Coronado Turrialba cheese, Coronado American cream cheese and Coronado liquid yogurt, number one in the market due to its delicious taste.

By: Kryssia Ortega,
Coronado Journalist.