March/April 2006
Page 5
Beyond the Bones - Calciium and Vitamin D
A flurry of recent studies has strengthened the case for getting enough calcium and vitamin D - not just to bolster your bones but possibly to fend off colon cancer, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and other health problems.
- In a four-year clinical trial Involving people with colon polyps or precancerous growths, calcium supplements reduced the risk of new polyps 19%. Five years after that trial ended, researchers found an even greater reduction of 36%. Aseparate trial, published in 2003, found that calcium cut the polyp risk only if people consumed enough vitamin D, which boosts absorption of the mineral.
- Women who ate or drank at least four servings a day of low-fat dairy products of fortified orange juice good sources of both nutrients - were significantly less likely to develop PMS than those who seldom or never consumed them, according to an observational study from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Previous studies have shown that calcium supplements can relive PMS.
- Based on the results of eight Clinical trials in older volunteers, average age 81, taking 700 to 800 international units (IU) of D - roughly twice the government's recommended dose for that age group - reduced the risk of hip fracture by 26%, while the standard dose provided no protection. That finding supports our longstanding position that the need for vitamin D rises with age.
In addition previous research has shown that adequate amounts of vitamin D may reduce the risk of several cancers and that calcium may help lower blood pressure. But despite the evidence of multiple benefits, most Americans fail to get enough of those vital nutrients. At age 60 everyone should have 1500 mg Vitamin D. At age 55 we need more sun exposure to 600 to 1000 IU.
SOURCE: Consumer Reports, On Health; Great Fall MT; S. Brevard FL; Metro Halifax News, January 2006, via Inside Out On-line Mar/Apr 06.
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