媽媽們做到這些，就再也不用擔心孩子會缺鈣了！

That's not surprising when you consider that many kids now drink more soda than milk, which is one of the best sources of calcium. And teens who smoke or drink soda, caffeinated beverages, or alcohol may get even less calcium because those substances interfere with the way the body absorbs and uses calcium.

當你了解到，現(xiàn)在的小孩喝的汽水比鈣的最佳來源之一的牛奶還多時，你對孩子缺鈣這一點就不會感到驚訝了。對那些吸煙，喝蘇打水和含咖啡因的飲料以及酗酒的青少年來說，身體吸收的鈣就更少了，因為他們攝入的那些有害物質(zhì)會阻礙身體對鈣的吸收和利用。

But at every age, from infancy to adolescence, calcium is one nutrient that kids simply can't afford to skip.

可是對孩子來說，鈣是他們從嬰兒到青少年，每個年齡階段都無法輕易忽略的營養(yǎng)物質(zhì)。What Calcium Does？什么是鈣？

During childhood and adolescence, the body uses the mineral calcium to build strong bones — a process that's all but complete by the end of the teen years. Bone calcium begins to decreasein young adulthood and progressive loss of bone occurs as we age, particularly in women.

在兒童和青少年時期，人體用鈣這種礦物質(zhì)強健骨骼——這個過程將一直持續(xù)到十幾歲才結(jié)束。骨骼中的含鈣量在成年早期時開始下降，并且隨著年齡的增長，骨質(zhì)將逐漸疏松，尤其是女性。

Teens, especially girls, whose diets don't provide the nutrients to build bones to their maximum potential are at greater risk of developing the bone disease osteoporosis, which increases the risk of fractures from weakened bones.對于青少年而言，特別是女生，如果她們的飲食不能提供足夠的營養(yǎng)來強健骨骼，讓骨骼成長發(fā)育到最佳狀態(tài)，那么她們患骨質(zhì)疏松癥的風險就會增加。而骨質(zhì)疏松癥會導(dǎo)致脆弱的骨頭極易骨折。

Younger kids and babies who don't get enough calcium and vitamin D (which aids in calcium absorption) are at increased risk for rickets. Rickets is a bone-softening disease that causes severe bowing of the legs, poor growth, and sometimes muscle pain and weakness.

對于年齡較小的孩子和嬰兒，如果他們?nèi)扁}或者缺少有助于鈣的吸收的維生素D，會增加得佝僂病的風險。佝僂病是一種軟骨癥，這種病會導(dǎo)致嚴重的腿彎曲，生長緩慢或者是肌肉疼痛和萎縮。

Calcium also plays an important part in making sure that muscles and nerves work properly, and in the release of hormones and enzymes. So if blood calcium levels are low, the body takes calcium from the bones to help these functions.

鈣也是確保肌肉和神經(jīng)正常運作的關(guān)鍵，另外，它對激素和酶的釋放也起到很重要的作用。因此，如果血液中的鈣含量偏低，那么人體就會從骨骼中汲取鈣質(zhì)從而幫助機體的這些功能正常運作。

When kids get enough calcium and physical activity during childhood and the teen years, they can start out their adult lives with the strongest bones possible. For optimal bone health, the Institute of Medicine (I0M) recommends:如果孩子在童年和青少年時期能夠充分吸收鈣質(zhì)并鍛煉身體，那么他們就可以以一個骨骼強健的身體開始他們的成年生活。

為了孩子的骨骼健康，醫(yī)學研究所給出了以下建議：僅供參考

· 1 to 3 years old — 700 milligrams of calcium daily

· 1-3歲，700mg/天

· 4 to 8 years old — 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily

· 4-8歲，1000mg/天· 

9 to 18 years old — 1,300 milligrams of calcium daily

· 9-18歲， 1300mg/天

Getting enough calcium is just part of the equation. Kids 1 to 18 years old also should get 600 IU of vitamin D daily. If you don't think your kids are getting the nutrients needed, talk to your doctor about changing their diet or using vitamin supplements.

吸收足夠的鈣質(zhì)只是讓機體保持平衡的一部分，1歲到18歲的孩子每天還需要吸收600IU（國際單位）的維生素D。如果你認為你的孩子沒有獲得身體所需要的營養(yǎng)物質(zhì)，那么你可以和醫(yī)生談?wù)?，試著調(diào)整他們的日常飲食或者使用一些維生素補充劑。

Good Sources of Calcium鈣的良好來源

Of course, milk and other dairy products are good sources of calcium, and most contain added vitamin D, which is also important for bone health.

毫無疑問，牛奶和其他日常食物都是很好的鈣源，并且這些食物多數(shù)都含有對骨骼健康十分重要的維生素D。

But don't overlook other healthy calcium-fortified foods, including orange juice, soy products, and bread. Here are some dairy and nondairy products that provide quite a bit of this vitalnutrient:

但我們也不能忽略像果汁、豆制品和面包等其他健康的鈣強化食物。這里是一些可以提供大量這種重要的營養(yǎng)物質(zhì)的乳制品和非乳制品：

Minding Your Milk

管理你的牛奶

Milk and other dairy products are among the best and most convenient sources of calcium you can find. But who should get what kind of milk and when?

牛奶和其他乳制品是你能夠找到的最好也是最便利的鈣源。但是不同的人應(yīng)該在什么時候喝什么樣的牛奶呢？

 Infants younger than 1 year old shouldn't have regular cow's milk because it doesn't have the nutrients a growing baby needs. Stick with breast milk or infant formula as your baby's major source of nutrition during the first year.

由于全脂牛奶中不含嬰兒成長所需的營養(yǎng)物質(zhì)，因此不適宜給不滿一歲的嬰兒喝全脂牛奶。在孩子出生的第一年里，大人要堅持把母乳或者嬰兒配方的奶粉作為孩子營養(yǎng)物質(zhì)的主要來源。

Kids between 1 and 2 years old should have whole milk to help provide the dietary fats they need for normal growth and brain development. But they shouldn't have more than 16 ounces a day. 

一到兩歲的小孩應(yīng)該喝全脂牛奶，這樣能夠為他們提供正常成長和大腦發(fā)育所需要的膳食脂肪，但一天攝入的牛奶量也不能超過12盎司（約350ml）。

After age 2, most kids can switch to low-fat or nonfat (skim) milk.

 在2歲以后，多數(shù)孩子都可以開始喝低脂牛奶或者脫脂牛奶。

The good news is that all milk — from skim to whole — contains about the same amount of calcium per serving. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend 2 cups (473 milliliters) of milk per day for kids 2 to 3 years old, 2? cups (591 milliliters) for kids 4 to 8 years old, and 3 cups (710 milliliters) for kids 9 and older.

所幸的是，不論是脫脂還是全脂牛奶，相同份量的牛奶中的鈣含量是差不多的。2010年的膳食指南建議：兩到三歲的小孩每天應(yīng)喝兩杯牛奶(473毫升），四到八歲的小孩每天應(yīng)喝兩杯半牛奶（591毫升），九歲以上的小孩每天應(yīng)喝3杯牛奶（710毫升）。