Are you taking calcium and vitamin D? Don’t think you need them? It’s time to rethink.
No one likes taking pills. But a recent study in the journal Menopause suggests that a little extra calcium and vitamin D3 in your day will make it less likely you will break your hip. The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) and evaluated women ages 50 to 79.For purposes of this report, 27,347 women randomly were given either a type of estrogen alone or that estrogen combined with a progestin called medroxyprogesterone acetate. Another 36,282 women were randomly given either 1,000 mg of elemental calcium (carbonate) plus 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily. Each of those groups were compared with women taking a placebo.The purpose of the study was to find out if taking hormone therapy (HT) lowers the likelihood of a broken hip and keeps bone density scores higher and to find out if adding calcium and vitamin D3 makes the outcomes even better.
Taking calcium and vitamin D3 plus Ht provides the lowest risk for a broken hip
In summary, here is what the study showed: Taking calcium and vitamin D3 lowers your risk of getting a hip fracture and will keep your bone density score higher than not taking calcium and vitamin D3. Taking HT improves the results more than just taking calcium and vitamin D3. Finally, taking calcium and vitamin D3 plus HT offers the best results when it comes to lowering your risk for a broken hip and keeping your bone density score high. Because a woman at age 70 or more has a 20% risk of dying from a broken hip within the next two years, maintaining strong bones is extremely important.
Are you taking your calcium and vitamin D? You should be.
