Did you know that 70% of women don't get enough calcium? An essential element, calcium is the most abundant mineral in our body. Most of the calcium (99%) in our body is stored in our bones. Calcium helps build and maintain strong bones.

Getting enough calcium is essential at every age, especially for menopausal and post menopausal women. The recommended daily intake is 1100 mg for adults aged 18 to 50 years old.

Vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium and helps it bind to bones. Vitamin D is made by the skin through sun exposure but often, people don't make enough, especially during times of the year when they're not as exposed to the sun. As people age, vitamin D requirements increase because the skin doesn't produce as much, making it necessary for people to compensate through their diet.

Fortunately, a 175 g serving of Yoplait Asana^TM Plain provides 30% of the recommended daily value of vitamin D.

Milk proteins MBP^TM (Milk Basic Protein) is found in trace amounts in cow's and breast milk.

Milk proteins MBP^TM could reduce activity of cells responsible for bone resorption (osteoclats) (Aoe et al., 2005).

Furthermore, MBP^TM could stimulate proliferation of cells involved in bone formation (osteoblats) and collagen production (Kawakami 2004). Collagen is a major protein component of the bone structure which contribute to bone resistance and flexibility (Vashishth, 2007).

Yoplait Asana^TM is enriched with 40mg of MBP^TM per 100g serving.

Osteoporosis means porous bones. It is a disease that makes bones fragile, thereby increasing the risk of bone fractures.

Did you know that 1 in 4 Canadian women over the age of 50 has osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is often referred to as a silent epidemic because it is painless and is often diagnosed late, usually after a bone fracture. As is the case with your overall health, preventing osteoporosis isn't that difficult with a little effort and perseverance. A healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and good nutrition is the best way to achieve this.

Of course, eating a balanced diet that includes adequate daily amounts of calcium is one of the first things to consider. As we age, calcium is not as easily absorbed by our body. Therefore, watching your daily intake becomes critical when you turn 40. Some foods, like coffee and salt, should be consumed in moderation since they speed up the loss of calcium.

Before you consider taking supplements, remember that certain foods, like dairy products, are a great option because the calcium they contain is usually better absorbed by the body. There are many good references on this subject. We suggest you use our calcium calculator and check out Websites like Osteoporosis Canada, which present a list of calcium-rich foods.

There are three major phases of bone development:

The development phase, from shortly before birth to 25 years of age, with a key period in adolescence when bone mass increases the most;

The maintenance phase, where bone mass stays relatively stable until 30 to 35 years of age, at which point the processes gradually begins to reverse and bones start to lose their density;

The accelerated phase, 5 to 10 years after menopause, when women can lose up to 25% of their bone density at a rate of 2-5% per year. This is when there is more bone degeneration than bone building, which is why it's so important to build healthy bones throughout life.