[Optimization of calcium intake for the prevention of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures: a review of the evidence]. Is dietary counselling effective in increasing dietary calcium, protein and energy intake in patients with osteoporotic fractures? A randomized controlled clinical trial. Randomised controlled trial of calcium and supplementation with cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) for prevention of fractures in primary care DIETARY CALCIUM AND RISK OF HIP FRACTURE: 14-YEAR PROSPECTIVE POPULATION STUDY Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. Calcium, vitamin D, milk consumption, and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women. Calcium, diet and fracture risk: a prospective study of 1898 incident fractures among 34 696 British women and men. Increasing weight-bearing physical activity and calcium-rich foods to promote bone mass gains among 9–11 year old girls: outcomes of the Cal-Girls study Dietary calcium, physical activity, and risk of hip fracture: a prospective study. Youth: a health plan-based lifestyle intervention increases bone mineral density in adolescent girls. Higher Dietary Calcium Intakes Are Associated With Reduced Risks of Fractures, Cardiovascular Events, and Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study of Older Men and Women. Dietary calcium intake protects women consuming oral contraceptives from spine and hip bone loss. Dietary calcium intake and risk of fracture and osteoporosis: prospective longitudinal cohort study Dietary calcium and vitamin D intake in relation to osteoporotic fracture risk. Dietary factors and the incidence of hip fracture in middle-aged Norwegians. A prospective study. Effects of calcium supplementation on clinical fracture and bone structure: results of a 5-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in elderly women. Skeletal site-dependent response of bone mineral density and quantitative ultrasound parameters following a 12-month dietary intervention using dairy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D: the Postmenopausal Health Study.
One of the main focuses of lifestyle modification for the prevention of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures  in Japan is improvement in dietary calcium intake . However , virtually no r and omized controlled trial to assess the preventive effects of administration of calcium on the risk of fractures has been conducted in Japan . In this study , we review ed all the scientific papers currently available from medical literature data bases to propose evidence -based recommendations on the preventive procedures for osteoporosis . The result of the present systematic review gives the evidence showing that calcium supplementation or optimal dietary calcium intake increases bone density in childhood and adolescence and reduces the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis in the elderly people regardless of the gender . The evidence also supports the current health policy guiding the elderly to increase their dietary calcium intake in daily life To determine the feasibility of increasing the calcium , protein and calorie intake of osteoporotic fracture patients by repeated dietary counselling delivered by a dietitian , a r and omized controlled trial was conducted . Among 189 patients presenting with osteoporotic fractures to an Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department of a large regional hospital , 98 patients were r and omized to the intervention group and 91 were r and omized to the control group ( with usual care ) . Intervention group received three sessions of dietary counselling with tailored made recommendations over a period of 4 months , while the control group only received dietary assessment and pamphlets on the prevention of osteoporosis . Almost all subjects in both intervention and control groups had calcium intake below the recommended level of 1000 mg at baseline . Half and 60 % of subjects in both groups had total energy and protein intake below recommended levels respectively . The mean weights of control and intervention groups at baseline were 51.5 and 50.9 kg respectively , while the body mass index ( BMI ) were 22.6 ( kg m(-2 ) ) and 22.6 ( kg m(-2 ) ) respectively . After dietary intervention , significant increase of intake was seen in calcium intake ( P = 0.0095 by t-test ) in the intervention group . No significant increase was seen in protein or calorie intake . No significant change was observed in the body weight or BMI although there was a positive trend in the intervention group for all these parameters . We concluded that there was general malnutrition in Chinese elderly who presented with osteoporotic fractures . Dietary calcium could be increased by repeated professional dietary counselling . Future studies with longer duration and more objective clinical outcomes will be helpful to further demonstrate the long-term effects of dietary intervention on osteoporosis and other chronic diseases Abstract Objective To assess whether supplementation with calcium and cholecaliferol ( vitamin D3 ) reduces the risk of fracture in women with one or more risk factors for fracture of the hip . Design Pragmatic open r and omised controlled trial . Setting Practice nurse led clinics in primary care . Participants 3314 women aged 70 and over with one or more risk factors for hip fracture : any previous fracture , low body weight ( < 58 kg ) , smoker , family history of hip fracture , or fair or poor self reported health . Intervention Daily oral supplementation using 1000 mg calcium with 800 IU cholecaliferol and information leaflet on dietary calcium intake and prevention of falls , or leaflet only ( control group ) . Main outcome measures Primary outcome measure was all clinical fractures and secondary outcome measures were adherence to treatment , falls , and quality of life ( measured with the SF-12 ) . Results 69 % of the women who completed the follow-up question naire at 24 months were still taking supplements ( 55 % with inclusion of r and omised participants known to be alive ) . After a median follow-up of 25 months ( range 18 to 42 months ) , clinical fracture rates were lower than expected in both groups but did not significantly differ for all clinical fractures ( odds ratio for fracture in supplemented group 1.01 , 95 % confidence interval 0.71 to 1.43 ) . The odds ratio for hip fracture was 0.75 ( 0.31 to 1.78 ) . The odds of a woman having a fall at six and 12 months was 0.99 and 0.98 , respectively . Quality of life did not significantly differ between the groups . Conclusion We found no evidence that calcium and vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of clinical fractures in women with one or more risk factors for hip fracture . Registration IS RCT N26118436 , controlled trials registry To assess the effect of dietary calcium intake on risk of hip fracture  , a geographically defined caucasian population in southern California was studied prospect ively . Between 1973 and 1975 , a quantified 24 hour diet recall was obtained by a dietician from 957 men and women aged 50 to 79 years at baseline . Follow-up to 1987 with mortality records and interviews showed 15 men and 18 women with hip fractures . The age-adjusted risk of hip fracture was inversely associated with dietary calcium whether considered as mg per day or as nutrient density ( mg per 1000 kcal ) . No other nutrient was consistently associated with hip fracture in any Cox proportional hazards model that included calcium . The association between  calcium  and fracture persisted after adjustment for cigarette smoking , alcohol intake , exercise , and obesity . The significant independent inverse association of  dietary calcium  with subsequent risk of hip fracture ( relative risk = 0.6 per 198 mg/1000 kcal ) strongly supports the hypothesis that increased dietary calcium intake protects against hip fracture OBJECTIVES This study examined whether higher intakes of milk and other calcium-rich foods during adult years can reduce the risk of  osteoporotic fractures .  METHODS This was a 12-year prospect i ve study among 77761 women , aged 34 through 59 years in 1980 , who had never used calcium supplements .  Dietary intake was assessed with a food-frequency question naire in 1980 , 1984 , and 1986 . Fractures of the proximal femur ( n = 133 ) and distal radius ( n = 1046 ) from low or moderate trauma were self-reported on biennial question naires . RESULTS We found no evidence that higher intakes of milk or calcium from food sources reduce fracture incidence . Women who drank two or more glasses of milk per day had relative risks of 1.45 for hip fracture ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] = 0.87 , 2.43 ) and 1.05 for forearm fracture ( 95 % CI = 0.88 , 1.25 ) when compared with women consuming one glass or less per week . Likewise , higher intakes of total  dietary calcium or calcium from dairy foods were not associated with decreased risk of hip or forearm fracture . CONCLUSIONS These data do not support the hypothesis that higher consumption of milk or other food sources of calcium  by adult women protects against hip or forearm fractures BACKGROUND Short trials of calcium supplementation show that it reduces loss of bone density in postmenopausal women ; longer observational studies do not generally find a lower risk of hip fracture with higher-calcium diets . Fewer studies have focused on vitamin D in preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis or fractures . OBJECTIVE We assessed relations between postmenopausal hip fracture risk and calcium , vitamin D , and milk consumption . DESIGN In an 18-y prospect i ve analysis in 72 337 postmenopausal women , dietary intake and nutritional supplement use were assessed at baseline in 1980 and up date d several times during follow-up . We identified 603 incident hip fractures result ing from low or moderate trauma .  Relative risks ( RRs ) from proportional hazards models were controlled for other dietary and nondietary factors . RESULTS Women consuming > or = 12.5 microg vitamin D/d from food plus supplements had a 37 % lower risk of hip fracture ( RR = 0.63 ; 95 % CI : 0.42 , 0.94 ) than did women consuming < 3.5 microg/d . Total calcium intake was not associated with hip fracture risk ( RR = 0.96 ; 95 % CI : 0.68 , 1.34 for > or = 1200 compared with < 600 mg/d ) . Milk consumption was also not associated with a lower risk of hip fracture ( P for trend = 0.21 ) . CONCLUSIONS An adequate vitamin D intake is associated with a lower risk of osteoporotic hip fractures in postmenopausal women . Neither milk nor a high-calcium diet appears to reduce risk . Because women commonly consume less than the recommended intake of vitamin D , supplement use or dark fish consumption may be prudent OBJECTIVE The risk factors for fractures are incompletely understood . An outst and ing question concerns the optimal amount of dietary calcium needed to minimise the risk of fracture . DESIGN We examined the associations of dietary calcium and other nutrients with self-reported fracture risk in a prospect i ve cohort study . Nutrient intakes were estimated using a semi-quantitative food-frequency question naire administered at recruitment . SETTING The UK . PARTICIPANTS A total of 26 749 women and 7947 men aged 20 - 89 years . RESULTS Over an average of 5.2 years of follow-up , 1555 women and 343 men reported one or more fractures , 72 % of these result ing from a fall . Among women , fracture risk was higher at lower calcium intakes , with a relative risk of 1.75 ( 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) 1.33 - 2.29 ) among women with a calcium intake of < 525 mg day- 1 compared with women with a calcium intake of at least 1200 mg day- 1 ( test for linear trend , P < 0.001 ) . The association of  dietary calcium with fracture risk was stronger among women aged under 50 years at recruitment than among women aged 50 and above .  Dietary calcium intake was not associated with fracture risk in men . Fracture risk was not related to the dietary intake of any other nutrient examined . CONCLUSION In this population , women with a low dietary calcium intake had an increased risk of bone fracture , and this association was more marked among younger women than among older women Background A two-year , community-based , group-r and omized trial to promote bone mass gains among 9–11 year-old girls through increased intake of calcium-rich foods and weight-bearing physical activity was evaluated . Methods Following baseline data collection , 30 5th- grade Girl Scout troops were r and omized to a two-year behavioral intervention program or to a no-treatment control group . Evaluations were conducted at baseline , one year , and two years . Measures included bone mineral content , density , and area ( measured by DXA ) , dietary calcium intake ( 24-hour recall ) , and weight-bearing physical activity ( physical activity checklist interview ) . Mixed-model regression was used to evaluate treatment-related changes in bone mineral content ( g ) for the total body , lumbar spine ( L1-L4 ) , proximal femur , one-third distal radius , and femoral neck . Changes in eating and physical activity behavioral outcomes were examined . Results Although the intervention was implemented with high fidelity , no significant intervention effects were observed for total bone mineral content or any specific bone sites . Significant intervention effects were observed for increases in dietary calcium . No significant intervention effects were observed for increases in weight-bearing physical activity . Conclusion Future research needs to identify the optimal dosage of weight-bearing physical activity and calcium-rich dietary behavior change required to maximize bone mass gains in pre-adolescent and adolescent girls OBJECTIVE --To determine whether low dietary calcium intake and physical inactivity are risk factors for hip fracture among subjects aged 65 and over . DESIGN --Fifteen year follow up study of a large cohort of r and omly selected elderly people living in the community , who had taken part in the 1973 - 4 survey of the Department of Health and Social Security , and for whom dietary and other data were recorded at initial interview and medical assessment . SETTING --Eight areas in Britain ( Engl and ( five ) , Wales ( one ) , and Scotl and ( two ] . SUBJECTS--1688 Subjects living in the community , of whom 1419 subjects ( 720 men and 699 women ) agreed to participate . 1356 Subjects completed a seven day dietary record and 983 ( 542 men and 441 women ) agreed to be assessed by a geriatrician . RESULTS --Incidence of hip fracture increased with age and was higher in women than men . Comparison with matched controls showed no evidence that the risk of hip fracture was related to calcium intake : the odds ratio for the lowest third of dietary calcium  compared with the highest was 0.7 ( 95 % confidence interval 0.1 to 3.9 ) after adjustment for smoking and body mass index . The adjusted odds ratio for the lowest third of outdoor activity compared with the highest was 4.3 ( 0.7 to 26.8 ) , and that for grip strength was 3.9 ( 0.7 to 23.0 ) . CONCLUSIONS --Reduced intake of dietary calcium does not seem to be a risk factor for hip fracture . Further evidence is provided that physical activity in the elderly protects against hip fracture OBJECTIVE To test the efficacy of a health plan-based lifestyle intervention to increase bone mineral density  in adolescent girls . DESIGN Two-year r and omized , controlled trial . SETTING Large health maintenance organization . PARTICIPANTS Girls 14 to 16 years old with body mass index below the national median .  Intervention Behavioral intervention ( bimonthly group meetings , quarterly coaching telephone calls , and weekly self-monitoring ) design ed to improve diet and increase physical activity . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Total bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry . Behavioral outcomes included intake of calcium , vitamin D , soda , and fruits and vegetables ; high-impact and strength-training physical activity ; measures of strength and fitness ; and biomarkers ( osteocalcin and naltrexone ) . RESULTS Compared with control subjects , girls in the intervention group had significantly higher bone mineral density in the spine and trochanter regions during the first study year , which was maintained during the second study year . The naltrexone biomarker demonstrated a greater relative decrease in the intervention group compared with the control group , with nonsignificant changes in osteocalcin consistent with more bone building in the intervention group . Participants in the intervention group reported significantly greater consumption of calcium in both study years , vitamin D in the first year , and fruits and vegetables in both years . We found no effect on soda consumption or target exercise rates . CONCLUSIONS A comprehensive health care-based lifestyle intervention can effectively improve dietary intake and increase bone mineral gains in adolescent girls . To our knowledge , this study is the first to significantly improve bone mass in adolescent girls in a non-school-based intervention . Trial Registration Clinical Trials.gov Identifier : NCT00067600 The aim of this population -based , prospect i ve cohort study was to investigate long-term associations between dietary calcium intake  and fractures , non-fatal cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) , and death from all causes . Participants were from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study , which was established in 1990 to 1994 . A total of 41,514 men and women ( ∼99 % aged 40 to 69 years at baseline ) were followed up for a mean ( SD ) of 12 ( 1.5 ) years . Primary outcome measures were time to death from all causes ( n = 2855 ) , CVD-related deaths ( n = 557 ) , cerebrovascular disease-related deaths ( n = 139 ) , incident non-fatal CVD ( n = 1827 ) , incident stroke events ( n = 537 ) , and incident fractures ( n = 788 ) . A total of 12,097 participants ( aged ≥50 years ) were eligible for fracture analysis and 34,468 for non-fatal CVD and mortality analyses .  Mortality was ascertained by record linkage to registries . Fractures and CVD were ascertained from interview ∼13 years after baseline . Quartiles of baseline energy-adjusted calcium intake from food were estimated using a food-frequency question naire . Hazard ratios ( HR ) and odds ratios ( OR ) were calculated for quartiles of dietary calcium intake . Highest and lowest quartiles of energy-adjusted dietary calcium intakes represented unadjusted means ( SD ) of 1348 ( 316 ) mg/d and 473 ( 91 ) mg/d , respectively . Overall , there were 788 ( 10.3 % ) incident fractures , 1827 ( 9.0 % ) incident CVD , and 2855 people ( 8.6 % ) died . Comparing the highest with the lowest quartile of calcium intake , for all-cause mortality , the HR was 0.86 ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] 0.76 - 0.98 , p(trend ) = 0.01 ) ; for non-fatal CVD and stroke , the OR was 0.84 ( 95 % CI 0.70 - 0.99 , p(trend ) = 0.04 ) and 0.69 ( 95 % CI 0.51 - 0.93 , p(trend ) = 0.02 ) , respectively ; and the OR for fracture was 0.70 ( 95 % CI 0.54 - 0.92 , p(trend ) = 0.004 ) . In summary , for older men and women , calcium intakes of up to 1348 ( 316 ) mg/d from food were associated with decreased risks for fracture , non-fatal CVD , stroke , and all-cause mortality CONTEXT It is estimated that 80 % of all women have used oral contraceptives ( OCP ) , but OCP use may prevent attainment of maximal peak bone mass in young women and thus increase the risk of osteoporosis later in life . OBJECTIVE This study examined whether increased calcium intake could reduce the detrimental effects of OCP use on bone mass in young women . DESIGN The study design was a 1-yr intervention . SETTING The study was performed in a general community setting . SUBJECTS One hundred fifty-four young ( 18 - 30 yr old ) healthy women with a dietary calcium intake of less than 800 mg/d began the study , and 135 completed the trial . INTERVENTION Subjects were r and omly assigned to one of three diet intervention groups : 1 ) control , continuous established ( < 800 mg/d ) dietary calcium intake ; 2 ) medium dairy , increase calcium intake to approximately 1000 - 1100 mg/d ; and 3 ) high dairy , increase calcium intake to approximately 1200 - 1300 mg/d . R and omization was stratified by OCP use . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome measures were total body bone mineral density ( BMD ) and content ( BMC ) ; total hip BMD , BMC , and bone area ; and spine BMD , BMC , and bone area . RESULTS Dairy product intervention positively impacted the percentage change in total hip BMD and BMC . In addition , dairy product intake prevented a negative percentage change in total hip and spine BMD in OCP users . CONCLUSION Dairy product intake , at levels necessary to achieve the recommended intakes of calcium , protected the total hip BMD and spine BMD from loss observed in young healthy women with low calcium intakes who were using OCP Objective To investigate associations between long term dietary intake of calcium and risk of fracture of any type , hip fractures , and osteoporosis . Design A longitudinal and prospect i ve cohort study , based on the Swedish Mammography Cohort , including a subcohort , the Swedish Mammography Cohort Clinical . Setting A population based cohort in Sweden established in 1987 . Participants 61 433 women ( born between 1914 and 1948 ) were followed up for 19 years . 5022 of these women participated in the subcohort . Main outcome measures Primary outcome measures were incident fractures of any type and hip fractures , which were identified from registry data . Secondary outcome was osteoporosis diagnosed by dual energy x ray absorptiometry in the subcohort . Diet was assessed by repeated food frequency question naires . Results During follow-up , 14 738 women ( 24 % ) experienced a first fracture of any type and among them 3871 ( 6 % ) a first hip fracture . Of the 5022 women in the subcohort , 1012 ( 20 % ) were measured as osteoporotic . The risk patterns with dietary calcium were non-linear . The crude rate of a first fracture of any type was 17.2/1000 person years at risk in the lowest quintile of calcium intake , and 14.0/1000 person years at risk in the third quintile , corresponding to a multivariable adjusted hazard ratio of 1.18 ( 95 % confidence interval 1.12 to 1.25 ) . The hazard ratio for a first hip fracture was 1.29 ( 1.17 to 1.43 ) and the odds ratio for osteoporosis was 1.47 ( 1.09 to 2.00 ) . With a low vitamin D intake , the rate of fracture in the first calcium quintile was more pronounced . The highest quintile of calcium intake did not further reduce the risk of fractures of any type , or of osteoporosis , but was associated with a higher rate of hip fracture , hazard ratio 1.19 ( 1.06 to 1.32 ) . Conclusion Gradual increases in dietary calcium intake above the first quintile in our female population were not associated with further reductions in fracture risk or osteoporosis The etiologic role of dietary calcium and vitamin D intake in primary prevention of  osteoporotic fractures is uncertain , despite considerable research efforts . With the aim to examine these associations with an improved precision , we used data from a large population -based prospect i ve cohort study in central Sweden . We estimated nutrient intake from a self-administered food-frequency question naire filled in by 60,689 women , aged 40 - 74 years at baseline during 1987 - 1990 . During follow-up , we observed 3986 women with a fracture at any site and 1535 with a hip fracture .  Rate ratio of fractures ( RR ) and 95 % CI were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models . We found no dose-response association between dietary calcium intake and fracture risk . The age-adjusted RR of hip fracture was 1.01 ( 95 % CI 0.96 - 1.06 ) per 300 mg calcium/day and the corresponding risk of any osteoporotic fracture was 0.99 ( 95 % CI 0.96 - 1.03 ) . Furthermore , women with an estimated calcium intake below 400 mg/day and those with a calcium intake higher than 1200 mg/day both had a similar age-adjusted hip fracture risk as those with intermediate calcium intakes : RR 1.07 ( 95 % CI 0.92 - 1.24 ) and RR 1.00 ( 95 % CI 0.79 - 1.27 ) , respectively . Vitamin D intake was not associated with fracture risk . Furthermore , women in the highest quintiles compared to the lowest quintiles of both calcium and vitamin D intake had an age-adjusted RR of 1.02 for all fractures ( 95 % CI 0.88 - 1.17 ) . Dietary calcium or vitamin D intakes estimated at middle and older age do not seem to be of major importance for the primary prevention of osteoporotic fractures in women Dietary data from a prospect i ve study were used to relate factors influencing calcium balance ( estimates of dietary calcium intake , protein intake from nondairy animal sources ( meat , fish , and eggs ) , and coffee consumption ) to the incidence of  hip fracture . During the years 1977 - 1983 , women and men born between 1925 and 1940 and living in one of three Norwegian counties were invited to a  cardiovascular screening that included a dietary survey . The attendance rate at screening was 91.1 % , and 90.7 % of these persons ( 19,752 women and 20,035 men ) filled in and returned a semiquantitative dietary question naire . This cohort was followed for an average of 11.4 years ( range , 0.01 - 13.8 years ) with respect to hip fracture , defined as cervical or trochanteric fracture . During follow-up , 213 hip fractures were identified , excluding fractures associated with high-energy trauma and metastatic bone disease . There was no clear association between  calcium intake or nondairy animal protein intake  and hip fracture in this cohort . However , an elevated risk of fracture was found in women with a high intake of protein from nondairy animal sources in the presence of low calcium intake ( relative risk = 1.96 ( 95 % confidence interval 1.09 - 3.56 ) for the highest quarter of nondairy protein intake and the lowest quarter of calcium intake vs. the three lower quarters of protein intake and the three higher quarters of calcium intake ) . Women who drank nine or more cups of coffee per day also had an increased risk of fracture , while there was no association between coffee consumption and hip fracture in men . Although these findings do not necessarily imply causal relations , they suggest the presence of risk factors for hip fracture that act through a negative calcium balance in this population BACKGROUND Increased dietary calcium intake has been proposed as a population -based public health intervention to prevent osteoporotic fractures . We have examined whether calcium supplementation decreases clinical fracture risk in elderly women and its mechanism of action . METHODS Five-year , double-blind , placebo-controlled study of 1460 women recruited from the population and older than 70 years ( mean age , 75 years ) who were r and omized to receive calcium carbonate , 600 mg twice per day , or identical placebo .  The primary end points included clinical incident osteoporotic fractures , vertebral deformity , and adverse events ascertained in 5 years . Bone structure was also measured using dual x-ray absorptiometry of the hip and whole body , quantitative ultrasonography of the heel , and peripheral quantitative computed tomography of the distal radius . RESULTS Among our patients , 16.1 % sustained 1 or more clinical osteoporotic fractures . In the intention-to-treat analysis , calcium supplementation did not significantly reduce fracture risk ( hazard ratio , 0.87 ; 95 % confidence interval , 0.67 - 1.12 ) . However , 830 patients ( 56.8 % ) who took 80 % or more of their tablets ( calcium or placebo ) per year had reduced fracture incidence in the calcium compared with the placebo groups ( 10.2 % vs 15.4 % ; hazard ratio , 0.66 ; 95 % confidence interval , 0.45 - 0.97 ) . Calcium-treated patients had improved quantitative ultrasonography findings of the heel , femoral neck and whole-body dual x-ray absorptiometry data , and bone strength compared with placebo-treated patients . Of the 92 000 adverse events recorded , constipation was the only event increased by the treatment ( calcium group , 13.4 % ; placebo group , 9.1 % ) . CONCLUSION Supplementation with calcium carbonate tablets supplying 1200 mg/d is ineffective as a public health intervention in preventing clinical fractures in the ambulatory elderly population owing to poor long-term compliance , but it is effective in those patients who are compliant The aim of the current study was to examine whether calcium supplementation could prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women or more favourable outcomes could be obtained via the consumption of dairy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D3 . For this purpose changes in bone mineral density ( BMD ) at different skeletal sites , assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry , as well as in quantitative ultrasound ( QUS ) parameters of the calcaneus over 12 months were estimated . A population of 101 postmenopausal women ( 55 - 65 years old ) was r and omized into a dairy group ( DG : n 39 ) , receiving approximately 1200 mg calcium/d and 7.5 microg vitamin D3/d through fortified dairy products ; a calcium-supplemented group ( CaG : n 26 ) provided with a calcium supplement of 600 mg/d ; and a control group ( CG : n 36 ) . Over the intervention period the DG was found to have more favourable changes in pelvis ( P=0.040 ) , total spine ( P<0.001 ) and total body BMD ( P<0.001 ) than the other groups . A significant increase was also observed for DG in lumbar spine BMD ( 2.0 % ; 95 % CI 0.5 , 3.5 ) although it did not differentiate significantly compared to the other groups . No significant differences were observed with respect to the changes in QUS parameters . The current study revealed that recommended intakes of vitamin D3 and calcium via fortified dairy products for 12 months can induce favourable changes in pelvis , total spine and total body BMD in postmenopausal women but not in QUS parameters . No such favourable changes were observed via supplementation of calcium alone
CONCLUSIONS Dietary calcium intake is not associated with risk of fracture , and there is no clinical trial evidence that increasing calcium intake from dietary sources prevents fractures .
OBJECTIVE To examine the evidence underpinning recommendations to increase calcium intake through dietary sources or calcium supplements to prevent fractures .