Unlocking
Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. calcium (n.) [kal-see-uhm] – a mineral that
is present in the human bone
Example: People with weak bones have low calcium levels in the body.
2. fracture (n.) [frak-cher] – the breaking of
bones
Example: I had a knee fracture
after I accidentally fell down the stairs.
3. advise (v.) [ad-vahyz] – to help or guide
someone in order to prevent or solve a problem
Example: When I was choosing my major, my father advised me to take up
engineering.
4. dairy (n.) [dair-ee] – food that contains
milk or milk products
Example: Cows are the main source of dairy products.
5. multivitamins (n.) [muhl-ti-vahy-tuh-min] – a
substance that contains several vitamins
Example: Every day, I take multivitamins
that has iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin B.
Article
Read the text below.
Swedish
researchers have found that taking more calcium does not prevent bone diseases like fracture and osteoporosis.
The researchers
monitored more than 60,000 women for a period of 19 years. From their study,
the results showed that 24% of the women suffered from fracture, while 1 out of
5 for every group of 5,000 developed osteoporosis. In addition, those women who
took 750mg of calcium faced the same risk as women who consumed 1135mg.
However,
experts agree that low calcium intake still puts a person at risk of bone
diseases. In UK, the recommended amount of calcium is 700mg. On the other hand,
European Union sets a slightly higher amount at 800 mg.
A recent survey
in UK shows that 50% of British women have calcium intake lower than 800 mg.
Experts advise that these women increase their calcium intake from 700 to
750 mg a day by eating high-calcium food like dairy, apricots, leafy vegetables, and almonds. Multivitamins and supplements can also be taken as additional sources of
calcium, experts added.
Viewpoint
Discussion
Enjoy
a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
Discussion A
·
Why should people know the latest
news about health?
·
Do you think it is helpful for
people to always listen to news about health? Why or why not?
Discussion B
·
Do you think it is necessary to take
vitamins even if you eat healthy food?
·
What do you think are the advantages
and/or disadvantages of taking vitamins or food supplements?