For years women have been told to take high doses of calcium along with some vitamin D to keep their bones strong. The wisdom of this approach has been questioned in recent years. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reviewed the evidence from over 100 clinical trials and concluded that the usual recommendations of 400 IU of vitamin D and 1000 mg of calcium daily to prevent bone fractures are not supported by the evidence. Such supplements might increase the risk of kidney stones. Getting calcium from the diet and vitamin D from moderate sun exposure should provide adequate nutrition. The Task Force noted that these recommendations do not apply to people who have already experienced osteoporotic fractures.
You can learn more about preventing bone loss in our Guide to Osteoporosis, while our Guide to Vitamin D tells more about sources and doses of this very important vitamin. Although the US Preventive Services Task Force report might be interpreted as promoting drugs rather than supplements, in fact the two are not compared. When possible, preventing bone loss with weight-bearing exercise, a diet rich in calcium from a variety of sources including green leafy vegetables (which also supply vitamin K, magnesium and other vital nutrients) and vitamin D from the sun or from fatty fish may be the best approach. Our interview with Michael Castleman, co-author of Building Bone Vitality: A Revolutionary Diet Plan to Prevent Bone Loss and Reverse Osteoporosis, and Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, Chairman of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, may also be of interest.
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