Grocery store shelves now boast a selection of plain and flavored soy milks, often placed side by side with their dairy counterparts. Labels indicate that a serving of soy milk has as much calcium as cow s milk. But the amount of calcium salts added is not regulated and may vary from 80 to 500 milligrams a serving. Yes, soy milk contains the same amount of calcium as cow s milk, but you have to drink more of it to get the same benefits. It would take 500 milligrams of TCP calcium in an 8-ounce serving of fortified soy milk to equal the calcium in a glass of cow s milk.
Calcium has many health benefits.
It helps to build strong bones, thereby reducing the risk for osteoporosis later in life. In addition, it has been shown to have beneficial effects in helping to prevent or ease other diseases or conditions, such as colon cancer, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, PMS and obesity. Most Americans don t consume enough calcium, particularly women. Teens get only about 60 percent of what they need, at a time in life when their skeletons are acquiring over half their lifetime bone calcium supply. An easy way to get more calcium into your family s diet is to serve milk with every meal.