Calcium Supplementation and its Impact on the Bone Mineral Density of Growing Females

Category: Conditions of the Bone

It has been understood that supplementation with calcium has a positive effect on bone mineral density (BMD). However, most of the studies have only looked at the short-term supplementation of calcium and its effects on bone accretion during growth.

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition measured the effects of long-term supplementation on females from childhood to young adult hood. This 7 year study contained over 350 female subjects enrolled from elementary and middle schools. The average calcium intake from dietary sources in the control group was determined to be about 830 mg per day. The treatment group received an additional 670mg per day. Primary outcome variables included radius bone mineral density, total body bone mineral density, and metacarpal cortical indexes.

The study found that long-term calcium supplementation had a positive effect on bone mineral density. Those effects were most significant during the pubertal growth spurt. The increase in bone mineral density in the radius was measurable during adolescence between the treatment and control group. However, at the completion of the study the differences were insignificant. The bone mineral density in the metacarpals was also increased in the treatment group, and this effect remained through adolescence into young adulthood in only the tall females. This led the authors to conclude that calcium requirement may be related to skeletal size.

The results of this study are important to understand preventative measures for osteoporosis and for bone health during growth.

Posted by Kristopher Foster on November 27, 2008 10:00 AM