Q. My children don't like milk. Can I give them orange juice with added calcium instead?

A. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of calcium-fortified drinks available.

Calcium is added to improve their bone-building potential. In order for the calcium in these drinks to be beneficial, the type of calcium added must be absorbed into the body.

A study in the May issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association compared two brands of calcium-fortified orange juice. One juice contained calcium citrate malate. The other juice contained a combination of tricalcium phosphate and calcium lactate. Results showed the absorption of the calcium citrate malate juice was 48 percent greater than the calcium absorbed in the other juice.

Many forms of calcium can be added to beverages. Even knowing the form cannot assure the consumer how well the calcium will be used by the body. That's because calcium particles react differently when added to various types of drinks.

A study in the February issue of Nutrition Today showed that tricalcium phosphate added to soy drinks had 25 percent less absorbability than the calcium in cow's milk. Calcium-fortified rice beverages also fared poorly.

In addition to poor absorption, the calcium in soy and rice drinks tends to settle out of these beverages, forming a sludge at the bottom of the carton. If the drink is not shaken before serving, the availability of the calcium can be up to 85 percent lower than the amount stated on the product label!

Calcium-fortified beverages can still help meet your calcium needs. After all, some of the calcium is still absorbed. However, these products should not completely replace natural sources of calcium.

What should you do?