Calcium Supplements Not Always Beneficial for Postmenopausal Women

Filed in archive Studies , Treatment on April 17, 2007

While it is very important for women of all ages to have enough calcium intake, supplementation of this bone mineral doesn't always lead to stronger bones in postmenopausal women.

Such were the findings of a study by a team in Kansas State University.

According to Mark Haub, associate professor of human nutrition and lead author of the study:

"Supplements are a lot like insurance. There is not a guarantee that you are preventing something -- nobody knows what's going to happen -- but there is little evidence that they do harm when taken at recommended doses.

We saw no difference, and I was kind of shocked. The thinking is that the older you get, the more rapid the bone loss, and because the bones are the storage site for calcium, you can simply replace the lost calcium with food or supplements. It isn't that easy."

But this doesn't mean the calcium supplementation and intake of calcium-rich foods should be stopped by women in particular.

Find more details from the full report.

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