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Calcium and Bone Health

Both Men and Women Need More Calcium

Both Men and Women Need More Calcium Calcium intake is extremely important for young adults to help achieve maximum bone mass, and for mature adults to help slow the rate of age-related bone loss. Studies have confirmed that calcium supplements can help build or preserve bones for the majority of us who don't get enough calcium. Less than half of women over 50 - and only 60% of men that age - consume the RDA for calcium. The situation for teens is worse: only about one in four boys and a mere one in ten girls meets recommended intakes. It appears that many women - and men - are not getting the message about how important calcium can be.

According to recent study, men are more prone to severe osteoporosis and have a higher fracture rate than women, because the condition is often diagnosed later (1). Osteoporosis is under-diagnosed in both sexes, according to the researchers, but it's missed far more frequently in men because clinicians aren't looking for it, and many men view osteoporosis as a "woman's disease". While it's true that men have larger, denser bones than women, men are typically living longer and so are more susceptible to gradual bone loss.

Key to Calcium's Benefits? Take It Consistently

Several years ago, noted researcher Dr. Dawson-Hughes reported that calcium and vitamin D supplementation in older men and women could cut the bone's turnover - the rate at which old and potentially damaged bone is replaced. This process, also called bone remodeling, can weaken bone because the area of the bone undergoing remodeling doesn't get back to full strength for some 40 to 60 weeks. The lower fracture rate seen in the supplemented study group - roughly half that of the others - likely stems from reduced bone turnover, according to Dr. Dawson-Hughes.

Unfortunately, 35% of the participants who were taking the calcium and vitamin D supplements in this long term study (2), stopped once the trial ended. When this group was followed over the next few years, it was found that women retained no benefit from having taken the calcium by the end of the first year. Men lost their benefits within 2 years of stopping. The take home message: if you take calcium sporadically, you may lose much of the benefit.

Isoflavones - Good, Sodas - Not So Good

A number of studies suggest that the isoflavones in soy may help reduce bone loss in older women. A new report from China (3) lends credence to these reports. In this double blind study, post-menopausal women were given a daily dose of either placebo, or a moderate or higher dose of supplemental isoflavones. Women in the higher dose group were found to have a significant improvement in their bone mineral content, particularly in the hip where factures are most debilitating. Further analysis revealed that the improvements occurred only among women who started with average to low bone mineral content (4).

In other new research, women who regularly consumed cola soft drinks were observed to have lower bone density than those who don't (5). Previous studies have examined the relationship between soft drink consumption and bone health in children and adolescents where lower bone has been attributed to soft drinks replacing other sources of calcium in the diet, such as milk and dairy. This new study, conducted at Tufts University, is the first to look at adults.

The lower bone mass seen in the soda versus non-soda consumers was not due to lower calcium intake. Instead, the soda's phosphoric acid content seems to be the culprit. Phosphorous, found in many foods, poses no health problem when balanced with calcium & other nutrients. When consumed in sodas, however, phosphorus is believed to bind with calcium and hinder its absorption. The take home message? Substitute healthier drinks - including soy beverages - for at least some of the sodas you consume. Also, calcium supplements may be best taken with meals unaccompanied by soft drinks.

References

1. Sawaka, et al. Analysis of the Canadian Database for Osteoporosis and Osteopenia (CANDOO). Abstract M291; 25th Ann Meeting of Am Soc for Bone Min Res, Sept, 2003.
2. Dawson-Hughes B, et al. Effect of withdrawal of calcium and vitamin D supplements on bone mass in elderly men and women. Am J Clin Nutr. 72:745-50, 2000.
3. Chen YM, et al. Soy isoflavones have a favorable effect on bone loss in Chinese postmenopausal women with lower bone mass: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. J Clin Endrocrinol and Metab 88:4740-47, 2003.
4. Setchell K, et al. Review. Dietary phytoestrogens and their effect on bone: Evidence from in vitro and in vivo, human observational, and dietary intervention studies. Am J Clin Nutr 78:593S-609S, 2003.
5. Tucker K, et al. Cola consumption and bone mineral mass in women. 25th Ann Meeting of Am Soc for Bone Min Res. Sept, 2003.