Calcium Supplements for Women Are Useless
How much calcium do women need? Women reach peak bone mass by 18 to 30 years of age. After that, bone mass deteriorates gradually, with accelerated losses occurring at menopause. Extremely low bone mass is called osteoporosis, which results in 1.5 million bone fractures per year.
For years, women were advised to take large amounts of calcium in the diet or as supplements to prevent osteoporosis. Since 2005, however, studies conducted in Great Britain, the United States and Switzerland showed that calcium supplements did not prevent bone fractures in aging women, even when combined with vitamin D. Ouch!
Dr. Walter Willett from the Harvard School of Public Health recommends that women consume 600 to 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day. Consuming too much calcium might increase the risk of ovarian cancer, heart attack and stroke. Dr.
Willett said that women should also consume 800 to 1,000 international units (IU) per day of vitamin D to help strengthen bones and possibly prevent cancer. [sources: Harvard Health Letter, Fitness RX]
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