Dietary calcium intakes of elderly Korean Americans

Dietary calcium intake among elderly Korean Americans was examined. Results of this study indicate that calcium intakes of the women were considerably lower than the Recommended Dietary Allowance partly because of their lower consumption of dairy products and lower energy intakes. For the same reasons, nonparticipants in a nutrition program for the elderly were less likely than participants to consume adequate amounts of calcium. A number of other factors may have influenced low calcium intake by some subjects. The examination of their food habits revealed that the subjects rarely consumed their preferred calcium-rich Korean foods because of the high cost and limited availability of the foods and their own difficulty in chewing. Consumption of calcium-rich foods in the United States diet also was limited. The subjects disliked calcium-rich foods in the United States diet, with the exception of milk and ice cream. Although a majority of the subjects liked and consumed milk daily, the amount was not sufficient to meet the calcium requirements in their diets. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of the subjects disliked and seldom consumed milk. In addition to dairy products, grains, fruits, and vegetables were major sources of calcium in diets of the subjects. However, individuals did not consume enough of the calcium-rich foods from these food groups to meet the calcium requirements.