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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Reader sends 15 questions about calcium
I’ve been writing this col
umn for almost two years
now, and during that time,
I’ve received some terrific
questions and suggestions
for topics to write about
from readers, patients and
other healthcare profession
als. This has made the writ
ing of this column each week
much easier and enjoyable.
One of my stated objec
tives in writing this column
is to encourage dialogue
between patients and their
healthcare providers -
specifically pharmacists, of
course, since we are so read
ily accessible. So I was espe
cially pleased when my edi
tor called me a few weeks
ago to tell me about a partic
ular letter addressed to this
column.
This letter, (all the way
from Raleigh, N.C. - the
Home Journal really gets
around!) contained 15 ques
Gregory to speak Friday at FVSU
Special to the HHJ
FORT VALLEY - The
multi-talented Dick
Gregory takes Fort Valley
State University’s fourth
annual John W. Davison
Lecture Series into 2005
with his Friday presenta
tion “An Evening with Dick
Gregory” at 7 p.m. in the
C.W. Pettigrew Farm and
Community Life Center on
the university campus.
A comedian, ciyil and
human rights activist,
author, nutritionist and
recording artist, Gregory
has used humor and satire
to make his points. The 15
books he has authored have
covered topics ranging from
health and nutrition to
commentaries on U.S. poli
tics, history, government
and culture.
Gregory’s sense of justice
has led him from Louisiana
and Michigan to Ireland
and Iran, always working
for human rights and “for
people.”
Acclaimed for his comedy
career, his mobilizations for
social change, his anti-drug
activities and his Bahamian
diet, his activities in the
1960 s Civil Rights move
ment are well documented,
as are his efforts for world
peace, against hunger, on
behalf of native Americans
and community action
approach to stamping out
drugs.
A native of St. Louis, Mo.,
Gregory attended Sumner
High School, where he
became a track star, presi
dent of his senior class and
a social activist.
After graduation, he
attended Southern Illinois
University-Carbondale,
where he became captain of
the track team and broke
the university’s half-mile
record. He also continued
his activism at SIUC, lead
ing a successful effort to
end segregated seating at
HOMETOWN NEWS
Richard A. Collins
Marine Corps Pfc. Richard
A. Collins, son of Robert J.
Collins of Warner Robins,
recently returned from a
deployment to Afghanistan
while assigned to Company
E, 2nd Battalion, 6th
Marine Regiment, sta
tioned at Camp Lejeune,
N.C. The company was
deployed
as a surge force specifical
ly for the Afghani presiden
tial election cycle.
Among other missions,
Collins and his fellow
Marines provided security to
Afghani President Hamid
Karzai during the first pres
idential elections in that
country in support of
Operation Enduring
Freedom.
After the inauguration,
President Karzai expressed
his gratitude to the Marines
in Collins’ unit by present
ing them an autographed
photo.
Collins is a 1998 graduate
of Valdosta High School in
Valdosta.
■
P]
David Voltz
Pharmacy Q&A
voltzrph@hotmail.com
tions. Talk about dialogue!
These questions cover a
number of pharmacy/med
ication related topics and in
the next few weeks, I will
attempt to answer them all.
Some of the questions are
on topics that I have previ
ously written about and
some are on relatively brief
DICK GREGORY
the local movie theater,
becoming the university’s
first black student to
receive the Outstanding
Athlete Award and leading
a successful student cam
paign to fund the construc
tion of a new student union.
During his life, Gregory
has addressed such issues
as global hunger, social and
civil injustices, drug addic
tion, and healthy nutrition.
Gregory and his family
have repeatedly risked their
lives to improve the condi
tion of humanity in the
United States and overseas.
He has said, “We will march
through your dogs! And if
you get some elephants,
we’ll march through them.
And bring on your tigers
and we’ll march through
them.”
Fort Valley State
President Dr. Kofi Lomotey
welcomed Gregory as the
sixth speaker at this year’s
series of nine lectures hon
oring John W. Davison, the
first principal of the Fort
Valley High and Industrial
School.
“Mr. Gregory’s appear
ance as our newest JWDLS
speaker - the first of 2005 -
continues the commitment
For more information on
2nd Battalion, 6th Marines,
visit their official Web site at
www.lejeune.usmc.mil/2dma
rdiv/26/index.html
.9n hCiotmg cMemotu C/
My Best Friend
fcSuzette Jordan
Cadwell
P June 26. 1961-
January 26. 2004
We Love You,
Wendy, Doug,
Andy, Taylor,
Tiffany & Tara
McDowell
114347
Subscribe
today
Call 987-1823
in nature, so those answers
may be a bit more concise.
However, some of the ques
tions will require longer,
more detailed answers and
may take an entire column.
A number of the questions
in the letter have to do with
calcium supplements, so
that’s where we will start.
The reader asked: “How
much calcium is recom
mended for a person over
65?” The recommended
daily intake of calcium is
1,000-1,200 mg/day for adult
men and women, according
to The National Academy of
Sciences and the National
Osteoporosis Foundation.
And most Americans don’t
get enough calcium in their
diets, so supplementation is
usually needed to achieve
the recommended intake
levels. And this supplemen
tation should begin early in
adulthood, is recommended
this university has made
through this series to
emphasize that education
extends beyond the class
room,” he said.
“The Davison lectures
provide opportunities to
showcase individuals who
have become successful in
their chosen fields of
endeavor - and Mr. Gregory
certainly qualifies as such
in a myriad of fields,”
Lomotey said. “His success
in the fields of civil and
human rights activism,
comedy, writing, nutrition,
and entertainment provides
an excellent role models for
our students and for oth
ers.”
Lomotey, who founded
the lecture series, said it
helps students see a direct
connection between their
experiences as undergradu
ates and the plethora of
opportunities that exist for
them once they leave Fort
Valley State.
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LOCAL
for both men and women
and should continue as they
age.
Even though more women
suffer from osteoporosis
than men, “men do lose
bone density as they age.
After age 65, the rate of
decline in men is the same
as in women. By age 75, one
third of men have osteoporo
sis,” according to the Mayo
Clinic.
The reader also asked: “Is
it OK to take calcium with
milk or some other sources
of calcium?” It is acceptable
to take calcium supplements
with either milk or other
dairy products. I would rec
ommend the lower fat dairy
products (skim milk, non-fat
or 2 percent cheeses, low or
non-fat yogurt or ice cream)
whenever possible.
This leads right into
another question: “What
happens if you take more
iwmmmmmm >wW * r \/ r
submitted
Robins Federal Credit Union has enlisted the help of local elementary school classes to
help make Valentines for Soldiers. Pictured are students in Angela Goodwin’s first
grade class at Matt Arthur Elementary School in Kathleen.
Robins Federal Credit Union collecting Valentines for Soldiers
Special to the HHJ
WARNER ROBINS -
Robins Federal Credit
Union would like to show its
support of soldiers this
Valentine’s Day.
All Robins Federal branch
calcium than needed?”
Calcium, even at the recom
mended levels, can cause
some side effects. The most
common of these are consti
pation and gas. These can be
offset by increased fluid
and/or fiber intake.
It was once thought that
high calcium intake con
tributed to kidney stones,
however, according to
National Institutes of
Health (NlH)’s Web site:
“more recent studies show
that high dietary calcium
intakes actually decrease
the risk for kidney stones.
Other factors such as high
oxalate intake and reduced
fluid consumption appear to
be more of a risk factor in
the formation of kidney
stones than calcium in most
individuals.”
This Web site (dietary
supplements.info.nih.gov/fa
ctsheets/calcium.asp) is an
locations will be collecting
Valentine’s cards prepared
by children, letters of
encouragement, thank you,
and thinking of you cards
for soldiers in Iraq. The
drive for Valentines for
■ .s*'.:* ?p%%
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fp^r
JANUARY 26, 2005 ♦
excellent source of informa
tion on calcium, its role in
the body, natural dietary
sources and calcium supple
ments.
Look for more discussion
of calcium supplements next
week and the other topics
the reader asked about after
that. I want to sincerely
thank the reader for their
interest in this column and
for taking the time to write.
If you have any questions
regarding medications or
pharmacy practice in gener
al, or comments, or sugges
tions for topics you’d like to
read about in this column,
just write to me. I can receive
email via voltzrph@hot
mail.com or postal mail at
Pharmacy Q&A, do The
Houston Home Journal, PO
Box 1910, Perry, GA 31069.
All questions are confiden
tial, so you don’t have to give
your name.
Soldiers begins Monday,
Jan. 31. To ensure that
there is proper time for
mailing, Valentine submis
sions must be received by
Feb. 3.
5A