Calcium Works if You Take it

Sixty-six percent of women admit to not meeting daily recommendations.

Overall, we know that calcium supplements are effective, but only when they are taken every day, consistently. Women should space their calcium intake through the course of the day and couple calcium intake with vitamin D

Meriden, CT (PRWEB) April 27, 2006 -- A new consumer survey of 1,158 women, released today from Thompson Brands, may have some answers as to why women are not receiving adequate amounts of calcium. The survey, gathered from Natural Woman Health e-newsletter, found that 66% of women believe they fail to consume adequate levels of calcium, even though an overwhelming majority of women between the ages of 20 and 50 correctly identified 1000 mg of calcium as the recommended daily intake. Respondents sighted the following challenges to adequate calcium intake:

• 34% reported that they do not like dairy foods or cannot eat dairy foods
• 28% indicated dieting as the obstacle
• 16% replied they do not like taking pills such as calcium supplements
• 8% reported that they get indigestion from calcium pills

Two recent studies indicate that calcium is effective in building bone health only when women consistently meet the recommended daily requirements. One study, just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, assessed the efficacy of calcium supplementation in terms of building bone strength. The study was conducted among 1,460 Australian women, all over 70 years of age. Only 57% of all women continued to take their calcium for the duration of the five-year study. For the women who consistently took the calcium, there was a 34% reduction in bone fracture risk. The Federally-funded Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) released a similar study in February. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, this study found that the individuals who did take the recommended amount of calcium achieved a noteworthy 29% decrease in bone fractures. Women who did not consistently comply with the recommended daily intake of calcium did not appear to significantly improve their bone strength.

“Overall, we know that calcium supplements are effective, but only when they are taken every day, consistently. Women should space their calcium intake through the course of the day and couple calcium intake with vitamin D,” states The Nutrition Twins™, Lyssie Lakatos, RD and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD.

There is one calcium supplement, Adora™, that promotes a high level of compliance. Adora™ premium chocolate calcium supplements provide calcium without the pills or chalky chews.    Adora™ dark chocolate also is suitable for individuals with gastrointestinal problems related to dairy consumption. Each piece of gourmet, delicious chocolate contains 500 mg of calcium and 100IUs of vitamin D. Research indicates that the human body can only absorb 500 mg of calcium at one time and Vitamin D is critical for the absorption of calcium. And with only 30 calories per disk, even those who are dieting will no longer have a reason not to adhere to calcium recommendations.

Adora™, from Thompson Brands, headquartered in Meriden, Connecticut, follows a 125-year tradition of producing delicious premium chocolate. Recognizing the growing trend in fortified foods, Thompson leveraged their chocolate manufacturing expertise to create Adora™ and deliver essential calcium and vitamins in a decadent, yet health-beneficial delight. The Adora™ chocolate calcium supplement extends the company's product lines addressing the needs of an increasingly health-conscious population. Other product lines include Thompson Organics and Thompson All Natural line of chocolates. For more information on Adora™, please visit www.adoraCalcium.com or call toll free at 1-800-648-4058.

Press Contact:
Leesa Raab/ADinfinitum
212-693-2150, ext. 309

# # #