COLLEGE PARK, Md., June 23 (UPI) -- Older U.S. men and women don't get the recommended amount of vitamin D and young females don't get enough calcium and vitamin D, two studies show.
A study by the University of Maryland's Center for Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Policy found that both men and women over the age of 55 don't get enough vitamin D.
Another study by the center also shows that Americans, especially adolescent and African-American women, don't consume enough calcium at the time they most need it to develop bone density: when they're young.
Maureen Storey, director of the center, says the greatest health risk associated with a lack of calcium and vitamin D is osteoporosis, a disease characterized by fragile bones that are more susceptible to fractures.
However, the risk of osteoporosis can be greatly reduced if adolescents and young adults consume adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D and get plenty of physical activity, particularly weight-bearing exercise.
Dairy products including milk, yogurt and cheese are the biggest dietary sources of calcium.
The findings will be presented at next week's Institute for Food Technologists Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla.
