Bone Health
October 16, 2019
This week’s tip comes from Dr. Sheena Ranade, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at Mount Sinai. October 19th is World Pediatric Bone and Joint (PB&J) Day. To celebrate, we wanted to share some helpful tips to make the most of your children’s growing bones and joints.
Winter is coming so it is important to find ways to stay active. Direct exposure to sunlight helps kids make vitamin D, an important hormone that helps your body absorb calcium. As kids will be inside more, it is important to maintain a healthy diet with plenty of Vitamin D and calcium. In addition to good nutrition, activity is important to keep your bones in shape. The more your child runs, jumps, and plays, the stronger their bones get! So bundle up and keep them moving!
Here are some goals for how much to eat and common food sources:
| Daily Vitamin D and Calcium Goals | |||
| Age | Daily Vitamin D Goal | Maximum Recommended Vitamin D Daily | Daily Calcium Goal |
| Less than 1 year of age | 400 IU | — | — |
| 1 to 3 Years | 600 IU | 2500 IU | 500 mg |
| 3 to 8 Years | 600 IU | 3000 IU | 800 mg |
| 8+ Years | 600 IU | 4000 IU | 1000-1500 mg |
Foods with good sources of vitamin D:
Salmon 3.5 oz: Fresh 600-1000 IU, Canned: 100-250 IU
Tuna canned 3.5 oz: 236 IU
Milk: I glass (8oz) between 50-100 IU
Nut milks:
1 egg: 44 IU
Orange Juice fortified: 100-150 IU/8oz
Some mushrooms have vitamin D, look for the label on packaging for more information.
Good Sources of calcium:
Black Eyed Peas: 1 cup/8oz: 379 mg (other beans and lentils are also excellent sources of calcium)
Kale/dark leafy greens: 1 cup/8oz: 100mg
Broccoli: 1 cup/50 mg
Fortified Orange Juice: 1cup/8oz 500mg
Cheese: variable amounts with harder cheeses having more calcium than soft cheeses
Low-fat yogurt: up to 250mg/8oz
Almonds 1 serving of 20 nuts yields approximately 60mg calcium
Milk: 1 cup/8oz: 327mg
*It is not advisable to drink large quantities of milk or juice unless recommended by your pediatrician.*
Happy PB&J Day!
