From women, daily calcium intake = longer life
From Naturally Moi
With obesity in African-American women running close to 60 percent, it is important that African-Americans work as a community to promote healthy eating habits that will keep these women healthy and strong for their family. According to a new study conducted by David Goltzman, director of the Calcium Research Laboratory at McGill University, a daily intake of 1,000 mg of calcium per day via supplements or food helps women may live longer.
“We found that daily use of calcium supplements in women was associated with a lower risk of death, irrespective of cause,” says Goltzman, who is also the lead author of the study. “The benefit was seen for women who took doses of up to 1,000 mg per day, regardless of whether the supplement contained vitamin D.”
The study examined the life of more than 9,000 men and women between 1995 and 2007. During that time, more than 1,100 of the participants died. Although the data showed women who took calcium supplements had a lower mortality risk, there was no statistical benefit for men. The study found no conclusive evidence that vitamin D had an effect on mortality. ”Higher amounts of calcium were potentially linked to longer lifespans in women, regardless of the source of the calcium,” says Goltzman. “In other words, the same benefits were seen when the calcium came from dairy foods, non-dairy foods, or supplements.”
Calcium plays an instrumental role in combating osteoporosis, a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. Osteoporosis can be attributed to the number of fractures elderly people, women especially, endure as they age. The risk of osteoporosis fractures can be reduced with lifestyle changes such as dieting, exercising, and avoiding falls. It is believed that vitamin D supplementation alone does not prevent fractures; however, combined with calcium it might.
