Every woman with a head on her shoulders knows about the importance of calcium for strong bones to prevent osteoporosis, a serious disease affecting older women. I myself have been a long time consumer of low-fat dairy products for this very reason (plus I love cottage cheese with almost anything). But now we have an added reason to wolf down the calcium.

New research has shown that women with higher intakes of calcium appear to have a lower risk of cancer overall, and both men and women with high calcium intakes have lower risks of colorectal cancer and other cancers of the GI system (this is from the February 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine).

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When Felice Austin was just 11 years old, her mother died from breast cancer. That started Austin on a lifelong campaign to lower her risk of the disease that strikes nearly 200,000 women every year.

Today, Austin, a 31-year-old mother who lives in Los Angeles, is a vegetarian who eats organic foods. She’s also an avid exerciser, doing aerobic activities like biking, roller skating and surfing along with lifting weights at least five days a week.

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