(NAFB) – Increasing calcium intake is a common–yet not always successful—strategy for reducing bone fractures. But a study supported in part by the Agricultural Research Service underscores the importance of vitamin D and its ability to help the body utilize calcium. The study also may explain why increasing calcium alone isn’t always successful in dealing with this problem.
The body’s skeleton needs adequate dietary calcium to reach its full potential in terms of bone mass. Still, many other factors affect bone mass, such as exercise, smoking and vitamin D–the latter through its effect on calcium absorption and direct effect on the skeleton. Currently, calcium intake recommendations are not tied to vitamin D status.
The study supports the idea that correcting inadequate blood levels of vitamin D is more important than increasing dietary calcium intake beyond 566 mg a day among women and 626 mg a day among men for better bone mineral density.
