Two Piece Combo

Combine calcium with vitamin D and what do you get? Healthy bones.

When HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., sent me a report on a new study that confirms this beneficial link, he added, “Didn’t we learn that, like, in the 50’s?”

It’s true, we did, so you have to wonder why research is still being devoted to this accepted beneficial effect half a century later. Even so, it provides a perfect opportunity to revisit this important maxim for those who haven’t heard about it, or for those who could use a refresher.

Calcium boost

A 2005 study that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that 800 IU of vitamin D daily reduced the incidence of hip fractures in elderly subjects. That study was a meta-analysis that reviewed 12 double-blind, placebo controlled studies.

Researchers at the Leuven University Center for Metabolic Bone Diseases in Leuven, Belgium, recently expanded on that study by conducting an analysis of four additional intervention studies that examined the association between hip fracture and vitamin D alone and comparing them with an analysis of six similar trials that included calcium supplements as well.

All of the subjects in the studies analyzed by the Leuven team were either postmenopausal women or men over the age of 50.

Results showed that vitamin D supplementation alone provides no significant effect on hip fracture risk. But when calcium supplements are added, hip fracture risk dropped by nearly 20 percent.

Bonus round

And now for the bonus: Another recent study confirms that combined calcium and vitamin D may help with weight control.

Again, this is not a surprise. But still, bone health and weight management are key considerations for men and women over the age of 50.

The weight management study comes from Kaiser Permanente where researchers conducted an impressively large study that included more than 36,000 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79. This large cohort was divided into two groups: one group received 1,000 mg of elemental calcium daily plus 400 IU of vitamin D, while the other group received a placebo. During the seven-year intervention period, body weight was measured yearly.

Results were not dramatic in terms of weight loss – subjects who took supplements averaged less than half a pound of lost weight compared to the placebo group. But a significant difference did emerge: As a group, subjects who took the combined supplements were more likely to keep weight off and maintain a stable weight.

Absorbing issues

Anyone who makes the extra effort of including more vitamin D along with their calcium should know that additional nutrients are necessary as well.

In the e-Alert “Absorbing it All” (4/19/04), Dr. Spreen had this to say about calcium for bone health: “Calcium must also have not only magnesium (okay, and phosphorous), but also manganese, silica, boron, strontium, and vitamin D (and that last one in high doses), vitamin C, vitamin B-12, and probably even more.”

In that same e-Alert, Dr. Spreen also weighs the pros and cons of the different types of calcium supplements. You can find “Absorbing it All” at this link: http://www.hsionline.com/ealerts/ea200404/ea20040419.html

As I’ve noted in previous e-Alerts, the best source of vitamin D is brief sun exposure for just a few minutes each day. For most people, however, sun exposure doesn’t supply nearly enough of the vitamin – especially during winter months. Good dietary sources of vitamin D include salmon, sardines, and cod liver oil.