Total calcium and vitamin D intake are positively associated with bone health, according to results from the Canadian Multicentre osteoporosis study (CaMos) published in the December 2013 issue of the Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions. This was observed even though total intake often fell below recommendations and despite an increase over time in supplement intake, the authors noted.
“Calcium and vitamin D are essential nutrients for maximizing peak bone mass, retaining required bone mass, preventing bone loss in later life, and thus potentially reducing the risk of osteoporosis, which is a growing health and economic problem in Canada and other countries,” W. Zhou, McGill University, Montreal, and colleagues explained.
The investigators followed over 9000 men and women 25 years and older for 10 years, and 899 between the age of 16 and 24 years for 2 years. Overall, they found that calcium and vitamin D supplementation increased over time in adults, but decrease in women aged 16 to 18 years. In addition, Zhou and colleagues found that at baseline, higher calcium and vitamin D intakes were associated with higher total hip and femoral neck BMD in young men and cumulatively high levels of calcium and vitamin D intake over time contributed to better BMD maintenance at lumbar spine and hip sites in adult women.
“This is the first longitudinal assessment of total calcium and vitamin D intakes among Canadians and the potential impact of cumulative intake on an important bone health parameter, [bone mineral density],” the authors concluded.
Zhou W, Langsetmo L, Berger C, et al; CaMos Research Group. Longitudinal changes in calcium and vitamin D intakes and relationship to bone mineral density in a prospective population-based study: the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos). J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2013 Dec;13(4):470-479.