University of New Jersey Medical School

Drug Store News, August 30, 1999

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- According to a team of researchers from the University of New Jersey Medical School in Newark, N.J., a diet rich in calcium could decrease the amount of lead absorbed by children, reducing the risk of lead poisoning.

For the study, researchers examined the dietary intakes of 314 children ages 1 to 8 who lived in the Newark area. According to the results, 31 percent of children ages 1 to 3 failed to receive the recommended daily dose of calcium, and 59 percent of children 4 to 8 years of age didn't get enough calcium, either. Overall, 49 percent of children in the study had elevated levels of lead in their blood.