supplements is all
you need to prevent
broken bones. In
fact, the research on
calcium and its fre-
quent sidekick, vita-
min D, is mixed. Two
recent large reviews
of well-designed
studies suggest
calcium and vitamin
D don’t reduce frac-
ture risk. But a 2018
study did show that a
higher intake of dairy
foods is associated
with higher bone-
mineral density and
vertebral strength
in men.
For now, most ex-
perts suggest getting
1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium and
400 to 4,000 IU of vitamin D a day
from food and drinks. (A glass of milk
has 30 percent of the recommended
calcium and 25 percent of the vita-
min D.) Besides dairy, you’ll find cal-
cium in kale, broccoli, canned
sardines with bones, and fortified
breakfast cereals; salmon, tuna, and
egg yolks provide vitamin D as well as
calcium.
If you can’t get enough through
food, Dr. Clarke recommends a
supplement of 500 mg of calcium,
plus 600 IU of vitamin D for people
younger than 70, and 800 IU after
age 70. “It’s also important to have anoverall healthy diet
with enough protein
and not to overdo
alcohol, caffeine, so-
das, or refined carbo-
hydrates,” he adds.
Note that no sup-
plement has been
proved to prevent
fractures in people
with osteoporo-
sis, Dr. Clarke says.
Some could even
be harmful, such as
strontium, a mineral
touted for stronger
bones that’s now
off the shelves in
Europe after the Eu-
ropean Medicines
Agency warned con-
sumers to stop using
it because of increases in heart at-
tacks and blood clots.Take Bone-Protecting
Drugs If Your Doctor
Recommends ThemBisphosphonates, including alen-
dronate (Fosamax) and ibandronate
(Boniva), reduce the risk of a fracture
by slowing the breakdown of bone
cells. They are the most commonly
prescribed drugs for osteoporosis
because they work. Yet these drugs
are often a hot topic for the wrong
reasons when newcomers join osteo-
porosis support groups such as BoneThe average density of
the thighbones of peopleAS
YOUNG
AS 30
decreased from
2005 to 2014.96 may 2019
Reader’s Digest