Dr. Jon Dickinson, an orthopedic surgeon from California, has been concerned about the calcium intake of Americans for several years. So, he decided to take action and has formulated a high-calcium beverage called Osteo. The drink includes 500 milligrams of soluble calcium in each 12-ounce bottle – about half of the minimum daily requirement.
The concept was to create a beverage loaded with calcium, vitamins and minerals in a tasty drink. Dickinson experimented in a makeshift lab in his Ross kitchen, using his four children as testers, until he came up with a blend of spring water, fruit juices and organic cane sugar. It retails for about $2.19 a bottle.
The product is geared for a mature market – one that is widely identified as being susceptible to osteoporosis and low bone mass.
But Dickinson says there is a broader market that includes children and teenagers, and he is planning to introduce a drink for a younger audience called Osteoblast in the spring.
Calcium comes naturally in milk, cheese and other dairy products as well as leafy green vegetables – foods that many people do not consume in adequate amounts.
By 2020, half of all Americans older than 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis and low bone mass if immediate action isn’t taken by individuals at risk, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Some 10 million Americans age 50 and older have osteoporosis and 34 million are at risk, according to a federal report. Each year, roughly 1.5 million people suffer a bone fracture related to osteoporosis.
“Osteoporosis is an epidemic among children and teenagers in the United States,” Dickinson said, adding that calcium is key to building healthy bones in young people. “It’s really important for children and teens to build the calcium stores.”
Only 13.5 percent of girls and 36.3 percent of boys from 12 to 19 years old in the United States get the recommended daily amount of calcium, according to the health department. Dr. Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said preventing bone disease begins in childhood.
“With low calcium intake levels during these important bone growth periods, today’s children and teens are certain to face serious public health problems in the future,” Alexander said.
Dickinson is using his own money to get Osteoblast up and running and attractive to outside investors. “Companies like this take a while to become profitable,” Dickinson said. “It would be nice to break even in 2008, but I probably won’t.” He says his business is a winner now, whether or not it’s profitable. “If we can educate people more about the need for calcium, I’ve accomplished something,” he said.