Life Stages
Reference
10. Weaver C.M., Heaney, R.P (1999): Calcium, in Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, M.E. Shils (ed) ninth edition, Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Page 151. 11. NY Times Health. (2009):Osteoporosis Lifestyle Changes – Osteoporosis Health Information. http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/osteoporosis/lifestyle-changes.html Accessed date 17/8/2010.
Between the ages of 9 and 17 years, some 45% of the adult skeleton is acquired. Once adult height is achieved, calcium steadily increases during a phase called "bone consolidation", after which the adult has achieved his or her peak bone mass. By the age of 16.9 years, 90% of the total bone mineral content is reached in females¹⁰.
During lactation, the daily transfer of calcium from mother to baby ranges from 250 mg to 300 mg per day. This means that moms could lose 25 g to 30 g of calcium over a 3-month period of lactation, which represents approximately 3% of her body's calcium stores. Younger moms (under 18 years) could lose as much as 10% bone mass density, and mothers carrying twins have a higher bone density loss than mothers carrying a single foetus¹².
Reference
12. Heringhausen J., Montgomery K.S., (2005). Maternal Calcium Intake and Metabolism During Pregnancy and Lactation. The Jnl Of Perinatal Education;14(1):52-27.
During menopause, oestrogen production decreases which causes a breakdown in bone as well as decreases calcium absorption, leading to bone loss. It has been found that a decrease in bone mass of between 3 – 5% per year, occurs in the first few years of menopause, thereafter, bone loss slows down to less than 1% per year after the age of 65¹³.
During lactation, the daily transfer of calcium from mother to baby ranges from 250 mg to 300 mg per day. This means that moms could lose 25 g to 30 g of calcium over a 3-month period of lactation, which represents approximately 3% of her body's calcium stores. Younger moms (under 18 years) could lose as much as 10% bone mass density, and mothers carrying twins have a higher bone density loss than mothers carrying a single foetus¹².
Reference
13. National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. (2009): Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet. Calcium:Health Professional Fact Sheet.http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium. Accessed date 1/9/2010.