Bischoff-Ferrari reports in a Tufts health and nutrition letter that of two major studies, one found no overall benefit to taking greater than average amounts of calcium. The second study showed that calcium supplementation decreased the risk of bone fracture by 72%.
So who is right about calcium supplementation? Dr. Bischoff-Ferrari says that the most important thing to remember is that bone is not just calcium, and that this mineral does not function in isolation. In fact, her studies came up with two major surprises.
She reported that higher calcium intake does not decrease the number of hip fractures, the most common and serious fracture among the elderly. But what is more shocking is the suggestion that taking calcium supplements without vitamin D may cause a 64% increase in hip fractures. So what could be causing the increased number of hip fractures in those who are popping their calcium pills every day?
One explanation is that there must be a balanced amount of calcium and phosphate to build calcium into bone. And that some people, particularly the elderly, are not eating enough protein to absorb sufficient phosphate. This, along with 1,000 units of vitamin D daily, will provide good insurance against brittle bones.
So Dr. Bischoff-Ferrari says it's time to reverse our brains and think about vitamin D first, and then calcium. And if we have enough D, we will automatically increase calcium absorption. Bischoff-Ferrari adds that vitamin D has another important benefit. It improves the strength of muscles.
She says muscles need three things, vitamin D, calcium and protein. Moreover, there is good evidence that adequate amounts of vitamin D prevent both falls and broken bones.
Bonnie - music to my ears. If you haven't listened to me in the past, will you listen to the world's foremost expert?
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