Written by Marcia Egles, MD. A large survey of 9477 Americans found that 60% did not reach the recommended daily levels.
Most Americans are still not meeting the current national recommendations for adequate calcium intake.(1) This is the conclusion of a recent study based on the 1999-2002 National Health Nutrition Examination Survey. Inadequate calcium intake is an established risk factor for the possibly preventable disease osteoporosis. Osteoporosis (porous bone) is often a silent disease until it manifests with a bone fracture. The U.S. medical costs from the care of fractures associated with osteoporosis are estimated at 18 billion dollars yearly. (1)
From the national survey data, the researchers assessed dietary and supplemental calcium consumption among 4477 men and 5000 women. They examined intakes in relation to known osteoporosis disease. They also evaluated how factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, education level and wealth influenced the likelihood that a person would choose to take calcium supplements.
Overall, 60% of participants did not meet the daily calcium adequate intake levels. Forty-three percent of the group with known osteoporosis successfully met the calcium guidelines. This represented the highest percentage of persons in the study who met the guidelines. Of this group, 72% took some form of calcium supplements.
Women were 1.6 times more likely than men to meet adequate intake targets. Overall, compared to whites, blacks were less likely to have adequate intakes. Higher education levels and higher incomes were both associated with better calcium intakes.
Calcium supplement users comprised 48% of the participants, with 54% of women and 41% of men overall taking calcium supplements. Unlike the women, the men’s calcium intake did not increase within the osteoporosis group. In the osteoporosis group, the men were almost half as likely to take supplemental calcium as were the women. Men also consumed a less calcium-rich diet.
Calcium supplement use in itself did not insure adequate calcium intakes. The study recognized adequate calcium intake in only 54% of those who said they used calcium supplements. Only 26% of the nonusers were deemed calcium-adequate. In general, those who reported taking calcium supplements also had more calcium in their diets.
Osteoporosis is often mistakenly viewed as a disease affecting only white, elderly women. This study contends that men, ethnic minorities, and the socio-economically disadvantaged should also be targeted to increase their calcium consumption through both diet and calcium supplementation. The national recommended adequate intake for men and women older than 51 years is 1200 milligrams of calcium per day. (2)
Source: Ma, Jun, Rachel A. Johns, and Randall S. Stafford. “Americans are not meeting current calcium recommendations.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 85.5 (2007): 1361-1366.
© 2007 American Society for Nutrition
Posted July 22, 2008.
References:
- Richard H.Carmona, MD. Bone Health &Osteoporosis, A Report of the Surgeon General (2004). Contains current recommendations regarding prevention of osteoporosis including recommended calcium intakes
- See the Office of Dietary Supplements website. Contains age-specific calcium adequate intake amounts from the Institute of Medicine
