Value Of Calcium And Vitamin D Supplements For Older Women

Article Date: 20 Feb 2006
What benefits are there for older women if they take Calcium and Vitamin D supplements? A new study found that a woman's risk of having a hip fracture goes down, but her risk of other types of fractures remain the same. Researchers also found that the supplements did not alter a post- menopausal woman's risk of developing colorectal cancer.

The research was carried out by the Women's Health Initiative, USA.

The study, of 36,000 menopausal women, found a 1% improvement in bone density as a result of taking Calcium and Vitamin D supplements for 7 years. Hip fractures went down 29% (for women over 60 it was 29%).

The study found the benefits were only there for women who took their supplements regularly, at least four days out of every five.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Medical News Today