Calcium-Rich Diet Prevents Bone Problems Caused by Contraceptive Use

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Calcium-Rich Diet Prevents Bone Problems Caused by Contraceptive Use

10 Jul 2005 Medical News Today

A calcium-rich diet can prevent the reduction of bone mass and

therefore lessen the increased risk of osteoporosis that could be

caused by the use of oral contraceptive pills, according to a study

published in the July 5 issue of the Journal of Clinical

Endocrinology & Metabolism, Reuters Health reports. Dorothy Teegarden

of Purdue University and colleagues studied 135 women ages 18 to 30,

57 of whom took oral contraceptives.

The participants were assigned either to their usual diet of less

than 800 milligrams of calcium intake daily, a medium dairy diet of

1,000 to 1,100 milligrams of calcium daily or a high dairy diet of

1,200 to 1,300 milligrams of calcium daily (Reuters Health, 7/6).

Over a one-year period, the study found an association between an

increase in daily calcium intake and a positive percentage change in

bone mass density at the hip and spine. In addition, the increased

calcium intake prevented a negative percentage change in total hip

and spine body mass density in women taking oral contraceptives,

NutraIngredients-USA.com reports.

Researchers recommended that physicians and public health

professionals encourage young women, especially those taking oral

contraceptives, to include the suggested levels of calcium -- about

1,000 milligrams daily -- in their diets. About 10 million U.S.

adults suffer from osteoporosis, and an additional 34 million people

have low bone mass, according to the National Osteoporosis

Foundation. An estimated 80% of women have used oral contraceptives

at some point in their lives (Halliday, NutraIngredients-USA.com,

7/7).

Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org.