Osteoporosis is one of the most prevalent diseases of aging. Over 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis and another 18 million more have low bone mass. Each year more than 1.5 million people suffer bone breaks in their hips, backs, and wrists due to osteoporosis, a disease that can be prevented and treated.
Calcium plays many important roles in the body but the most crucial is in creating and maintaining bone mass. Studies show that low calcium intake is associated with low bone mass, rapid bone loss and high fracture rates. Yet, national surveys have shown that many people, especially those over the age of 50, are not consuming enough calcium. Although the RDA for calcium was recently raised to 1,000 mg/day for adults, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommend a calcium intake of up to 1,200 mg/day for adults.
Adequate calcium intake is important because our bodies can’t produce it. The body loses calcium every day through shedding skin, nails, hair, and sweat as well as through urine and feces. This lost calcium must be replaced daily through the diet. When the diet does not contain enough calcium to support these functions, calcium is taken from bones, the storage areas for calcium.
As we age, calcium absorption in the body becomes less efficient. Calcium is more easily absorbed from foods during childhood, whereas an adult assimilates only about one-third of the dietary calcium taken in. Absorption and assimilation are the key factors when it comes to calcium supplementation. Many people are under the impression that taking a single source, single-nutrient calcium supplement will help strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis. However, the body does not absorb calcium well unless it is combined with various factors, such as vitamin D, to improve its absorption.
Vitamin D is essential in helping the body absorb and utilize calcium. Although calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, the body can’t absorb it without vitamin D. As we age, the absorption of calcium and vitamin D declines, as does production of vitamin D by the skin from exposure to sunlight. This reduced ability to absorb calcium contributes to bone loss as we age. Supplementing the diet with vitamin D not only helps the body absorb calcium but also works in the kidneys to help resorb calcium that otherwise would be excreted. Vitamin D and calcium work together to slow down or even reverse osteoporosis.
Significant advances have been made in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis as a result of years of research on calcium supplementation. This research concludes that slowing or preventing bone loss with proper calcium intake beginning at a young age can help prevent the devastation of osteoporosis later in life. The best methods for retaining bone mass and preventing osteoporosis are following a consistent exercise program and supplementing a healthy diet with a quality multi-nutrient source of calcium.
