Calcium intake and peak bone mass
Article Abstract:
The amount of dietary calcium needed by growing children to reach maximal peak bone mass is not known. It is also not known whether calcium deficiency during childhood decreases peak bone mass, increasing the risk of fracture during adulthood. Skeletal growth occurs throughout infancy, childhood, and puberty, with the most growth occurring during infancy and adolescence. A minimum amount of calcium is needed for skeletal growth to continue at a constant rate. The daily recommended dietary allowances for calcium during childhood and adolescence are lower than the minimum amount needed for skeletal growth. Adolescents need the most dietary calcium. They absorb and retain more dietary calcium than children and young adults, but they lose more in their urine. A research study found that calcium supplementation did not effect bone density in children during puberty. During adolescence, bone density is determined more by skeletal age and developmental stage than nutrition. It is not known whether calcium supplementation can make up for calcium deficiency earlier in life.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1992
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Calcium supplementation during breast-feeding
Article Abstract:
Calcium supplementation does not appear to benefit breastfeeding mothers. It is well known that breastfeeding mothers lose bone calcium and then recover normal bone density after weaning. This calcium loss does not occur in non-breastfeeding women. Calcium supplementation seemed a plausible measure for preventing this loss. However, several studies have shown that the calcium loss occurs even in women with high calcium intake. Although calcium supplementation does not appear to offer benefits, this does not imply that adequate calcium intake and a good diet generally are not important while breastfeeding.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1997
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The effect of calcium supplementation on bone density during lactation and after weaning
Article Abstract:
Calcium supplementation does not seem to offer benefits to breastfeeding mothers. Bone density declines during breastfeeding and recovers after weaning. Researchers randomly assigned 326 new mothers, half of whom breastfed and half of whom did not, to calcium supplementation of 1 gram per day or placebo and followed them for as long as a year. Calcium supplementation did not prevent the decline of bone mineralization in breastfeeding mothers and only slightly enhanced the recovery of normal bone density after weaning.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1997
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