Calcium Supplements for Adults Under 35 Improve Bone Mineral Density, Study Shows

• Calcium plays an important role in bone health; deficiencies can result in reduced bone density and cause conditions such as osteoporosis.

• Calcium supplementation later in life only slightly decreases the risk of osteoporosis or fracture.

• Previous research on the effect of supplemental calcium on bone mineral growth in young people (35 years or younger) was limited.

• Recently, researchers completed a systematic review to summarize the evidence of the effect of calcium supplementation in younger age groups, finding that supplementation does, in fact, improve bone mass.

Osteoporosis, where bones become porous and weaker due to loss of bone density, is an important health concern during aging.

The condition increases the risk of fractures, especially in the hip, spinal vertebrae, and wrists. Osteoporosis particularly affects older women and typically occurs as a result of hormonal changes or deficiencies of calcium or vitamin D.

In a new study recently published in eLife, researchers from Wenzhou Medical University, China, searched for randomized controlled trials that compared calcium or calcium plus vitamin D with a placebo or no treatment in participants under the age of 35. Specifically, the researchers examined bone mineral density or bone mineral content.

Their analysis included more than 7,300 participants across 43 studies and examined changes in bone mineral density and bone mineral content in the lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip, and total body. Read entire article by Paul Ian Cross PhD MedicalNewsToday.