Increasing Bone Mineral Mass: Tips for Teens

Adolescence is a critical time for bone mineral mass accumulation. In the May 2007 issue of Bone, the official journal of the International Bone and Mineral Society, (www.ibmsonline.org/), Dr. Steven Abrams at the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center shared his perspectives on the importance of bone mineral mass accumulation during the teen years.

In girls, almost half of all total body bone mineral accumulation occurs within five years after puberty. This programmed increase in calcium absorption and bone growth is related to hormonal changes of puberty. Obtaining a high bone mineral mass lessens the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life. It may also be a factor in decreasing adolescent fractures. Most adolescents take in less calcium than current recommendations. Fortunately, some catch-up acquisition of bone mineral mass continues in early adult life as long as dietary calcium intake is not too low. Perhaps for this reason, interventions to increase the total absorption of calcium using dietary strategies or supplements have had minimal long-term success in the United States. Moreover, they have not been well accepted by adolescents.

Dr. Abrams believes that more research is needed to understand factors that influence the acquisition of peak bone mineral density. He also believes it is time to revise the dietary requirements for calcium and vitamin D to include both an estimated average intake (AI) and a recommended daily intake (RDA). However, he recognizes that these changes may be slow to occur. In the interim, he provides these recommendations for adolescents:

• Avoid very low calcium intakes (<600-800 mg/d),
• Maintain adequate intake of dietary vitamin D intake (good sources are fortified dairy products, salmon and shrimp),
• Avoid routine supplementation with > 400 IU Vitamin D unless advised by a physician, and
• Follow appropriate lifestyle habits including exercise and weight-bearing activities such as walking, jogging or weight lifting. Mowing the lawn is a great exercise for teenagers too.