The researchers of the Wenzhou Medical University, China, looked for randomized, controlled trials comparing calcium supplements or calcium plus vitamin D with a placebo or no treatment in participants younger than 35. Specifically, the researchers looked at bone mineral density or bone mineral content.
The research results were published in the journal eLife.
Calcium Supplements: Are They Really Useful?
Calcium plays an important role in bone health; deficiencies can result in a reduction in bone density and cause conditions such as osteoporosis. Calcium supplementation in old age only slightly reduces the risk of osteoporosis or fractures.
Osteoporosis, where bones become porous and weaker due to the loss of bone density, is a major health problem during aging. This condition increases the risk of fractures, especially in the hip, spinal vertebrae and wrists. Osteoporosis particularly affects older women and typically occurs due to hormonal changes or deficiencies in calcium or vitamin D.
During the research, the research team’s analysis included more than 7,300 participants in 43 studies and looked at changes in bone mineral density and bone mineral content in the lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip, and overall. the body.
Bone mineral density tests can provide a snapshot of a person’s bone health. Changes in bone mass occur naturally over time, with peak bone mass occurring in our 20s, although there is a difference between males and females.
During the new searchthe team of scholars found that calcium supplements in people under 35 could significantly improve both total body and femoral neck bone mineral density levels and slightly increase femoral neck, total body and neck bone mineral density. of the lumbar spine.
This improvement was more pronounced in people aged 20 to 35 (the age of peri-peak bone mass, where bone mass stabilizes) than in those under the age of 20 (the age of bone mass. pre-peak).
Professor Joan Marie Lappe, Ph.D., RN, Associate Dean at the College of Nursing Research at the Osteoporosis Research Center at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, not involved in the study, explained: “Most people young people need adequate calcium to build and maintain strong bones. Both calcium supplement studies and calcium dietary studies were included in the analysis. Dietary calcium is the best source, but supplements should be taken as needed to achieve the recommended intake level. “
The researchers found that both dietary sources of calcium and calcium supplementation had positive effects on overall bone mineral density, but bone mineral density measurements of the femoral neck and lumbar spine were only improved after calcium supplementation.
Prof. Lappe noted that “previous research and the physiology of human calcium inform us that without adequate calcium intake, the body takes calcium from the bones to be used for other vital functions. Research also shows that peak bone mass (reached between the ages of 25 and 30) is the best predictor of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly. Therefore, achieving maximum peak mass provides protection against osteoporosis ”.
Lily Chapman, BSc., MSc., Performance coach and sports and exercise nutritionist, not involved in the research, highlighted a MNT that “studies have consistently shown that increasing dietary calcium intake or the inclusion of calcium supplementation can help increase peak bone mass / content / density and reduce bone loss. However, Chapman has pointed out that most studies to date tended to include older participants.
“Age leads to an accelerated loss of bone density, accompanied by microstructural alterations. Knowing the current pressure on health systems and the growing importance of a proactive and preventative approach to the health and fitness industry, this research plays an important role in being the first meta-analysis I am aware of to focus on. age before reaching peak bone mass, ”said the expert.
After reviewing the study results, Chapman said: “Significant improving effects of calcium supplements were found on both bone mineral density and bone mineral content, particularly on the femoral neck. This is a promising finding, as people who develop higher peak bone mass as young people are likely to be better protected from problems such as osteoporosis and related fractures later in life.
Professor Lappe noted that: “There is no specific recommended age to start calcium supplements. The guidelines in the United States recommend taking calcium supplements by age group, 1000 milligrams per day for people aged between 19 and 50 years and 1200 mg per day for people over the age of 50. Supplements should be used at any age if adequate calcium is not obtained from food ”.
The researchers noted several limitations in their publication: for example, the researchers did not clearly compare the difference between males and females due to the limitations of the existing data (some studies provided combined data of males and females with no males alone). They also noted that few of the studies included in the analysis focused on the 20 to 35 age group.
Chapman noted this in his review: “Only three studies met the inclusion criteria for the age group between 20 and 35, meaning that a high percentage of participants were teenagers. With this, it is therefore necessary for further studies to investigate the age group between 20 and 35 to help solidify these findings, as this is a period of life when bone mineral density peaks. But overall, a promising research area that poses several strengths, mainly because it is one of the first meta-analyzes of its kind “.
The team pointed out that although the number of studies in the 20-35 age group was small, their evidence was of high quality and the results were stable, especially in the femoral neck. Based on this research, people over the age of 35 may be wondering if it’s too late to start calcium supplements. In response to this important question, Professor Lappe noted, “it is never too late”.
Maria Luisa Brandiprofessor of endocrinology at the University of Florence and president of the FIRMO Foundation for the treatment and prevention of skeletal diseases, speaking of the usefulness of calcium supplements, stated: “It is a debate that is rekindled periodically for several years, since one was published study on British Medical Journal a first poorly done New Zealand study that led to misleading and alarmist conclusions. Since then, targeted research has continued to be carried out on this issue, which more often than not, however, end up giving unreliable results ”.
“The right quantities [ di integratori di calcio] – the endocrinologist specified – they must be calculated taking into account the calcium that is already taken daily with the diet, so that the total does not exceed the threshold value of 1,000 milligrams per day. It is necessary to spread the intake of the supplement throughout the day, in order to prevent the calcium concentration in the blood from going up and down creating dangerous peaks, which can favor the formation of accumulations in places other than the bones: the advice I give always to my patients is to dilute the calcium in the bottle of water that you drink in small sips throughout the day “.
“All international scientific societies recommend first of all getting the right amounts of calcium through your diet“, Explained Brandi:” To have greater awareness and roughly evaluate how much calcium we take every day at the table, just connect to the FIRMO Foundation website, where you can find a practical “Calcium Calculator“: By answering a few simple questions about the foods we eat during the week, an estimate of the calcium we consume every day is obtained in a few seconds”.
“A few tricks and a bit of constancy are enough. It doesn’t take much, if you think that a liter of mineral water rich in calcium contains up to 400 milligrams, and that a flake of 30 grams of parmesan provides 300 milligrams of calcium ”, concluded the expert.
It is important to specify that this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the valuable work of your trusted doctor. If you feel the need to take a calcium supplement, talk to him first, so that he can advise you in the best possible way and possibly direct you to a valid specialist.
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