Food and Nutrition
Boning Up and Heading Back to School
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Aug 4, 2008 - 7:23:25 PM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Each back-to-school season, parents arm kids with tools necessary to build a lifetime of knowledge, but kids need to develop more than their minds to lead a long and healthy life. They need to develop strong bones, too. This year, parents can send kids back-to-school with the tools necessary to build strong minds and strong bones by following a handful of useful nutrition strategies.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 90 percent of girls and 75 percent of boys ages 9-13 are not getting the daily recommended 1,300 milligrams (mg) of calcium for their age group. What’s more, many parents remain unaware of this dangerous deficiency that currently affects millions of American children. A survey of parents of school-aged children, conducted in 2007 by independent research firm Opinion Research Corporation, found that the majority of parents, almost 60 percent, were uncertain about how much calcium their kids need each day. Furthermore, more than 30 percent of the parents surveyed mistakenly believed their children needed less than half of the daily recommended 1,300 mg of calcium for kids nine years and older.

These statistics, while alarming, present an opportunity for parents to become better educated about their kids’ bone health in order to effectively increase their kids’ bone mass. Bringing bone-healthy foods into the home is one simple step parents can take to help their kids build and maintain strong bones.

Bone-healthy foods include foods rich in calcium, along with those enhanced with prebiotics. A prebiotic is a non-digestible, soluble fiber that can significantly boost calcium absorption by encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in the body. By choosing to bring foods into the home that are both rich calcium and enhanced with prebiotics, parents can ensure their kids are on the road to a lifetime of healthy bones.

“Back-to-school season presents an opportune time for parents to help their kids build strong bones by providing them with bone-healthy breakfasts and packed lunches,” said Coni Francis, Ph.D., a registered dietitian with GTC Nutrition.

There are an increasing number of kid-friendly, better-for-your-bones foods for parents to choose from this back-to-school season. A great choice for a bone-healthy breakfast is Barbara’s Bakery line of Organic Wild Puffs cereals. Barbara’s Bakery recently re-launched their tasty cereals with the added health benefits of NutraFlora®, a natural prebiotic fiber. NutraFlora® is one of the most effective prebiotics available, and is rapidly gaining awareness among parents and consumers for its ability to significantly improve calcium absorption. The re-launch also included new flavors such as Honey Puffs and Coca Graham varieties, which join existing Barbara’s Bakery Organic Wild Puff favorites Fruit Medley and Crunchy Cocoa.

In addition to serving bone-healthy foods, parents can help kids build and maintain healthy bones by encouraging them to exercise. Bones, just like muscles, become stronger through regular athletic activity. Most schools have a wide variety of organized athletics for kids, making back-to-school a perfect time for kids to start a new exercise routine.

To learn more about building and maintaining healthy bones visit www.nutraflora.com or www.nof.org.



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