about Calcium Raises Risk of Osteoporosis Chris Evert Encourages Women to Beat the Odds through Education (NAPSA)—More than 10 million women in the United States are suffering from osteoporosis. Even though it is preventable, 50 percent of American womenare at risk of developing the debilitating bone disease in their lifetime. New research suggests that women know that calcium is important to their health, but they often don’t take steps necessary to protect themselves from osteoporosis. According to the National Cal- cium IQ Survey of 1,000 women ages 30-60, sponsored by the National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC), more than half of the women surveyed (53 percent) don’t know how much calcium they need and suspect that they are not getting enough. They are right. What’s worse is that one-third of women (32 percent) fail to take any proactive steps to ward off the disease. “Even though we’ve been reminded time and again aboutits importance, many women still don’t get enough calcium from diet alone to help prevent bone loss,” explains Miriam Nelson, Ph.D., nutritionist and fitness expert, and author of the best-selling Strong Women book series. “A healthy diet, weight-bearing exercises and a calcium supplement, preferably calcium citrate that can be taken at any time of day can go a long wayto help protect bone mass.” To underscore the importance of exercise and calcium to prevent osteoporosis, tennis legend Chris Evert, winner of 18 Grand Slam titles, is helping the NWHRCto launch the Website CalciumIQ.com. This online resource will feature expert tips and practical health news, including details of the recent study finding that calcium citrate in combination with weight-bearing exercise helps to significantly prevent bone loss and actually rebuild bone. Evert hopes that this online calcium information resource will inspire women to do more to prevent osteoporosis. “As a professional athlete, I grew up with the benefit of con- stant health and fitness coaching, and whether I was going through motherhood or competing on the courts, my diet and exercise habits have served me well,” says Evert. “Even though I no longer play tennis competitively, I know that good nutrition improves my performance. I am proactive about getting enough calcium and I take a Citracal supplement every day.” The survey shows 38 percent of women take calcium supplements every day, an encouraging sign of calcium awareness. “However, it also shows confusion about the differences among calcium supplements,” says Dr. Nelson. “Most calcium supplements contain calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, or calcium phosphate—all of which are very different and do not offer the samebenefits. One of the primary reasons women stop taking supplements is fear of gas and bloating, but few know that calcium citrate does not generally cause gasor bloating.” For more information on the benefits of calcium and easy tips to help prevent boneloss, please visit www.CalciumIQ.com. The National Women’s Health Resource Center, Inc. (NWHRC)is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women make informed decisions about their health. Mission Pharmacal, the makers of Citracal, is a family-owned pharmaceutical company based in San Antonio, TX.
