The experts went on to make the point of saying that the calcium supplements were effective at preventing bone fractures in the sub-group of women who were at highest risk and that the inclusion of both high risk and low risk women in the study confounded the results.
Loosely translated, this means that if you are starting with dense bones entering menopause (usually because of a combination of genetics, good diet and exercise), the addition of calcium supplements may not be necessary, at least in the short run. However, if you are entering menopause with relatively low bone density, calcium supplementation can be very important.
Finally, the experts were quoted as saying that the calcium supplements worked much better for those who took them regularly than for those who didn’t. That comes under the category of “Duh”! All of the experts concluded by saying that they still recommended that post-menopausal women get at least 1000-1200 mg of calcium per day. Even if you are taking bone-protective medications, the recommendations are still for 1000 mg of calcium per day.
Two points that were not made in any of the news reports are:
- that the calcium supplements consisted of only calcium and vitamin D. Shaklee’s studies show that trace minerals, boron and vitamin K are also necessary for optimal bone formation and all of these nutrients are found in Shaklee’s OsteoMatrix
- that weight bearing exercise is needed for optimal utilization of calcium for bone formation.
As the new study shows, calcium supplementation alone can be of some benefit for preventing some fractures in high-risk women who take their calcium supplements regularly. However, calcium supplementation and weight bearing exercise will be effective for most women and for every bone that is exercised. Chasing the grand kids doesn’t count. We’re talking about pumping iron. It’s also important to recognize that weight-bearing exercise alone isn’t effective if you aren’t getting enough calcium. You need both!
Ed. Note: Thanks to Dr. Stephen Cheney of the University of North Carolina’s Medical School for separating fact from fiction in the above calcium report.
This past year Shaklee reformulated its Super Cal Mag Plus to provide even more trace minerals – the result is OsteoMatrix an unsurpassed calcium supplement to fight osteoporosis and improve bone health.
Additional information:
- watch an informational online video about why you need more than just calcium to build bones
- learn more about calcium (why you need it and foods rich in it)
- Read an informational pamphlet about this premium bone health supplement
