Although millions of people around the world take calcium and vitamin D supplements, two new research reviews published in the prestigious British Medical Journal have shown that these supplements don’t help at all when it comes to preventing broken bones.
In one study, researchers collected high-quality analyses from around the world and found that people over 50 don’t see a benefit at all from taking either calcium supplements or from consuming calcium in food. Individuals taking supplements were just as prone to have a fracture. A few scientific studies found individuals who took supplements might have a smaller risk, but the benefits were not readily apparent.
“Dietary calcium intake is not associated with risk of fracture, and there is no clinical trial evidence that increasing calcium intake from dietary sources prevents fractures,” the researchers wrote. “Evidence that calcium supplements prevent fractures is weak and inconsistent.”
The studies’ conclusion matched recommendations that US health officials have been making in recent years. In 2012, a special governmental task force said there isn’t sufficient evidence to advocate taking calcium or vitamin D supplements, and advising against the supplements in some cases.
Women more than 50 years old are told to get 1,200 mg of calcium per day and women under 50 are told to get 1,000 mg daily. Men are recommended to get 1,000 mg each day, although men over 70 ought to get 1,200 mg. However, most people don’t get enough calcium and physicians recommend supplements to ensure their patients get enough calcium.
Not even worth it
But the new studies indicate that people are not helped by supplements, and in fact, calcium supplements can actually be dangerous for some people.
“Clinical trials of calcium supplements at doses of 1,000 mg/day, however, have reported adverse effects, including cardiovascular events, kidney stones, and hospital admissions for acute gastrointestinal symptoms,” the researchers wrote. Zoinks.
In the second study, researchers discovered individuals who consumed the most dietary calcium seemed to have marginally stronger bones as assessed by bone mineral density. However, this didn’t lead to fewer broken bones.
In an editorial responding to the studies’ results, Dr. Karl Michaelsson of Uppsala University in Sweden called for a reassessment of standard supplement practices. “The weight of evidence against such mass medication of older people is now compelling, and it is surely time to reconsider these controversial recommendations,” Michaelsson wrote.
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Feature Image: Thinkstock
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