Almost 50 percent of all Australian adults are not getting the recommended daily intake of calcium and vitamin D needed to maintain healthy bones.
For World Osteoporosis Day 2006 (October 20), Osteoporosis Australia asked celebrity chef Luke Mangan to come up with a couple of quick — and, best of all, delicious — recipes to show how easy it is to increase your daily intake of calcium and vitamin D and prevent osteoporosis and other bone ailments later in life. Tune into Channel 9’s Today show on October 20 to watch Luke cook some of his recipes live on air or make them yourselves with the recipes we give you below.
Osteoporosis facts
Foods containing micronutrients of potential benefit include:
Green leafy vegetables: Vitamin K
Breads, cereals, meat products, poultry: B vitamins
Green vegetables, fruit, fortified cereals: Folic acid
Green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, unrefined grains, fish: Magnesium
Seafood, lean red meat, meat products, poultry, whole grain cereals, legumes and pulses: Zinc
Protein itself is a key element of bone and low protein intake has been shown to be detrimental across all age groups, both for the acquisition of bone mass during childhood and adolescence, and for the preservation of bone mass during ageing.
While a simple but varied diet rich in calcium is essential for building and maintaining healthy bones, more than half of all Australian adults are still not getting their recommended daily intake of calcium.
Current statistics indicate that 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 Australian men over 60 years of age will suffer an osteoporotic fracture.
Learn all about the National Health and Medical Research Council’s new calcium requirements, and find out what else you can do to keep your bones healthy.
Check out the recipes Luke Mangan developed for World Osteoporosis Day:
Luke Mangan’s calcium-rich smoothie
Spinach and ricotta parcels
Vanilla bavarois with poached rhubarb
Apricot ricotta cake
And try these calcium-rich recipes from our archives:
Homemade yogurt
Baked cheese pasta
Low fat tiramisu
Oysters
For more information about World Osteoporosis Day and the benefits of a calcium-rich diet, call Osteoporosis Australia on 1800 242 141 or go to www.osteoporosis.org.au
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