Fw: Breaking Medical News: Calcium Deemphasized by WHO

[Guest guest]

> PCRM Breaking Medical News 3/16/03

>

> WHO Calcium Recommendations: Just 400-500 mg Daily

>

> In sharp contrast to ever-escalating calcium recommendations issued by

U.S. authorities, a World Health Organization panel has called for a daily

minimal intake of just 400-500 mg-and that only applies to older adults in

countries with high fracture rates. The panel issued no minimal recommended

intakes for countries with low fracture rates.

>

> The panel cited " the calcium paradox " -that hip fracture rates are high in

developed countries where calcium intake is also high and low in countries

where calcium intake is lower. The reason seems to be protein. The panel

reported that " accumulated data indicate the possibility that the adverse

effect of protein, in particular animal (but not vegetable) protein, might

outweigh the positive effect of calcium intake in calcium balance. "

>

> To prevent fractures, the panel also called for vitamin D supplementation

of 5-10 mcg per day if sun exposure is limited, along with increased

physical activity, reduced sodium intake, increased fruit and vegetable

intake, maintenance of a healthy body weight, avoiding tobacco, and limiting

alcohol use. Other sections of the report cover other major diseases.

>

> The findings resonate with those from Harvard University's Nurses' Health

Study, which included 72,337 postmenopausal women. After 18 years of

follow-up, neither milk nor a high-calcium diet reduced fracture risk.

Vitamin D, on the other hand, did help: Women consuming at least 12.5 mcg of

vitamin D daily in food or supplements had a 37% reduction in fracture risk.

>

>

> Here are the references:

>

> Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Diet, Nutrition, and the Prevention

of Chronic Diseases. WHO Technical Report Series 916: World Health

Organization, Geneva, 2003.

>

> Feskanich D, Willett WC, Colditz GA. Calcium, vitamin D, milk consumption,

and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women.

> Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;77:504-11.

>

> For more information on nutrition and health, please visit www.PCRM.org

and www.CancerProject.org.

>

> Breaking Medical News is a service of the Physicians Committee for

Responsible Medicine, 5100 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 400, Washington, DC

20016, 202-686-2210. To join PCRM and receive the quarterly magazine, Good

Medicine, log onto www.PCRM.org.

>

>