Bone up on calcium with Stonyfield Farm Yogurt!

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), nine out of 10 women and seven out of 10 men are not getting the calcium they need every day. Children, beginning when they are toddlers, are also not getting enough calcium in their diets, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2005, the USDA released the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Americans.  These guidelines are revised every five years. The recommended amount of milk products to consume is now three servings per day.

Dairy foods have the most concentrated amount of calcium and are better absorbed than most other foods that contain calcium. Each 6oz serving of Stonyfield Farm yogurt provides 25 to 35 percent of an adult’s daily calcium requirement. And our YoCalcium yogurts provide 50% of your daily calcium requirements in each 6oz serving.

Osteoporosis
Calcium deficiency is one of many factors that increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. A 2004 study by the office of the U.S. Surgeon General says that by the year 2020, one in two Americans over age 50 will be at risk of fractures from osteoporosis or low bone mass. This is a trend that begins in childhood because of inadequate calcium intake. To help prevent this crippling disease, the Surgeon General recommends plenty of exercise and a variety of high-calcium foods like yogurt.

Weight loss - The Stonyfield Farm Diet for Weight Loss Revisited in 2005
Research has shown that a diet high in dairy calcium can enhance fat burning and increase weight loss. A 2004 study showed that when obese people on a weight restricting diet included 1200 -1300 mg of dairy calcium, they lost 64 percent more body fat and 70 percent more weight than those on a low calcium diet. Including at least three servings of yogurt per day in a reduced-calorie diet naturally provides calcium and protein to support healthy weight loss.

Calcium and PMS
A June study in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that women with the highest intake of calcium, especially from milk products, had the lowest risk of PMS.

Hypertension - Lower Your Blood Pressure with Diet Alone
Calcium and other minerals found in a diet high in fruit, vegetables and lowfat dairy products has been shown to lower blood pressure as effectively as medication.

Kidney stones
Most kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate. It was standard advice to restrict calcium intake in the past. Current research demonstrates that kidney stone formers with adequate calcium intake are less likely to form stones again.

Lead toxicity
Adequate calcium intake appears to be protective against lead toxicity in at least two ways. Increased dietary calcium is known to decrease lead absorption. Adequate calcium intake also prevents exposure to lead mobilized from the skeleton when bone is demineralized.

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Calcium Absorption and Bone Density

Calcium -- an essential mineral