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Calcium requirements for growth: are current recommendations adequate?
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Davis Medical Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
Nutrition Reviews
|June 1, 1993
Summary
Optimizing peak bone mass is crucial for preventing fractures. Current calcium intake recommendations may be insufficient for many growing individuals to reach their full genetic potential for bone density.
Area of Science:
- Bone biology
- Nutritional science
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Peak adult bone mass is influenced by genetics and environment.
- Inadequate skeletal mass accumulation increases fracture risk later in life.
- Environmental factors like nutrition and exercise may account for 20% of bone mass variance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of calcium intake in achieving peak bone mass.
- To evaluate if current dietary calcium recommendations are adequate for optimizing bone development.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of scientific studies on calcium, bone growth, and peak bone mass.
- Analysis of existing data on calcium's impact on skeletal development.
Main Results:
- Calcium intake appears to be a significant factor in attaining peak bone mass.
- Current Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for calcium might be too low for optimal bone mass in many young individuals.
Conclusions:
- Higher calcium intake during growth may be necessary to optimize genetically determined peak bone mass.
- Revising dietary calcium standards for growing populations may be indicated to improve long-term skeletal health.