title: Dietary calcium intake and bone loss from the spine in healthy postmenopausal women.
abstract: Controversy exists over the relationship between calcium intake and axial bone loss. We measured bone density of the spine (L2-4) by dual photon absorptiometry (DPA) two times, 7 mo apart, in 76 healthy postmenopausal women aged 40-70 y. Ca intake was assessed by food-frequency questionnaire. Women with a Ca intake less than 405 mg/d lost spine density at a rate that was significantly greater than that of women with an intake greater than 777 mg/d, p = 0.026. There appears to be a threshold of Ca intake below which increased Ca in the diet is likely to be beneficial in reducing spine mineral loss.
authors: USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Dawson-Hughes
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Jacques
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Shipp
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D013131:Spine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D002118:Calcium