Northern California's Comprehensive Thalassemia Center at at Children's Hospital Oakland

Living with Thalassemia

Life Stages ::

• Infancy

• Toddlerhood

• School Years

• Adolescence

• Adulthood

Nutrition & Diet

• Foods to avoid

• Calcium

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D

Immunizations

Calcium and Thalassemia: What can be done to prevent problems related to bone strength and fractures?

The major problems can be delayed or prevented by the adequate use of Desferal to prevent damage to the ovaries and testes by iron. In addition, everyone, including children and young adults with either transfusion dependent or non-transfusion dependent thalassemia, should have an adequate intake of calcium, either by eating foods high in calcium or by taking calcium supplements. Exercise in moderate amounts also increases bone strength. It is hard to determine how much calcium is in your diet without knowing how much calcium is contained in foods. At an annual comprehensive clinic visit, each patient can visit a nutritionist to help him or her determine whether enough calcium is coming from the diet. Most people need about 1.5 grams of calcium daily to build strong bones. Children need less: about 1 gram per day. Adolescents need more during this time of increased bone growth: 1.5 to 2 grams per day. Adults need about 1.5 grams per day. These levels of calcium can be achieved by eating foods high in calcium:

High calcium foods
(one serving = 400 mg or .400 g of calcium)

One cup of milk
yogurt
milk based pudding or custard
6 sardines with bones

Medium calcium foods
one serving = 125 mg or .125 g of calcium)

One cup tofu
One cup of beans* or peas
One cup broccoli, kale, mustard greens*
One half cup of bok choy or turnip greens*
One half cup cottage cheese, frozen yogurt, cream soup, or ice cream
One quarter cup almonds
2 ounces canned fish with bones

Remember that if you are on a low-iron diet, try to find alternate sources of calcium, as these tend to be high in iron as well

Many foods are fortified with calcium: orange juice, breads, soy milk. Look on the labels for both the iron content (avoid iron) and the calcium content of prepared foods. Also important is vitamin C for calcium absorption. If you think about calcium and how important it is for your health, you can easily increase the calcium you receive everyday. If you want more information about your diet, call your health care provider or a nutritionist for a consultation.

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Northern Comprehensive Thalassemia Center