Don’t cry over spilt milk
Calcium intake is important, but not extremely essential, new Swedish research revealed.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, suggested that if you are already taking moderate amounts of calcium, increasing it will not lower your risk of osteoporosis or fractures as you age.
Calcium intake is important, but not extremely essential, new Swedish research revealed.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, suggested that if you are already taking moderate amounts of calcium, increasing it will not lower your risk of osteoporosis or fractures as you age.
As people age, bones lose some of their calcium content, thus increasing the risk of developing osteoporosis or having fractures.
Sweden’s Uppsala University’s lead researcher, Dr Eva Warensjö, revealed there is “still no clear advice on calcium intake”.
Researchers gathered data from a large population study of Swedish females which had been conducted in 1987.
The study involved 61,433 women born between 1914 and 1948.
About 5,022 of the women took part in a smaller sub-research group. They were all followed-up for 19 years.
The results revealed that 24% (14,738) of the participants had a first fracture during the 19-year follow-up, and 6% (3,871) with a first hip fracture. Within the sub-group, 20% had osteoporosis.
A series of questionnaires gave researchers in-depth knowledge of the women’s changing diet.
The authors focused on calcium intake and the use of multivitamins and supplements.
They also gathered details on the women’s menopausal status, post-menopausal oestrogen therapy status, bodyweight, height, smoking status, physical activity and educational levels.
Results showed that those who had been consuming about 750mg of calcium per day had the lowest risk of fracture. However, those who started having more than 750mg of calcium over time did not lower their risk of a fracture at all.
In fact, researchers suggested that some evidence existed to suggest that a very high calcium intake might result in a greater risk of hip fractures.
