Clin Nutr Res.  2015 Jan;4(1):1-8. 10.7762/cnr.2015.4.1.1.

The Role of Calcium in Human Aging

Affiliations
  • 1Loyola University Healthcare System, Maywood, IL 60153, USA. jbeto@luc.edu
  • 2Department of Nutrition Sciences, Dominican University, River Forest, IL 60305, USA.

Abstract

Calcium is an essential nutrient that is necessary for many functions in human health. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body with 99% found in teeth and bone. Only 1% is found in serum. The serum calcium level is tightly monitored to remain within normal range by a complex metabolic process. Calcium metabolism involves other nutrients including protein, vitamin D, and phosphorus. Bone formation and maintenance is a lifelong process. Early attention to strong bones in childhood and adulthood will provide more stable bone mass during the aging years. Research has shown that adequate calcium intake can reduce the risk of fractures, osteoporosis, and diabetes in some populations. The dietary requirements of calcium and other collaborative nutrients vary slightly around the world. Lactose intolerance due to lactase deficiency is a common cause of low calcium intake. Strategies will be discussed for addressing this potential barrier to adequate intake. The purpose of this narrative review is a) to examine the role of calcium in human health, b) to compare nutrient requirements for calcium across lifecycle groups and global populations, c) to review relationships between calcium intake, chronic disease risk, and fractures, and d) to discuss strategies to address diet deficiencies and lactose intolerance.

Keyword

Calcium intake; Nutrition; Growth; Bone formation

MeSH Terms

Aging*
Calcium*
Chronic Disease
Diet
Humans
Lactase
Lactose Intolerance
Metabolism
Nutritional Requirements
Osteogenesis
Osteoporosis
Phosphorus
Reference Values
Tooth
Vitamin D
Calcium
Lactase
Phosphorus
Vitamin D

Reference

1. National Institutes of Health (US). Dietary supplement fact sheet: calcium [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health;2013. cited 2014 August 23. Available from: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium/HealthProfessional/.
2. Goodman WG, Quarles LD. Development and progression of secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease: lessons from molecular genetics. Kidney Int. 2008; 74:276–288.
Article
3. Institute of Medicine Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes (US). Dietary reference intakes for calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin D, and fluoride. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press;1997.
4. van der Velde RY, Brouwers JR, Geusens PP, Lems WF, van den Bergh JP. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation: state of the art for daily practice. Food Nutr Res. 2014; 58.
Article
5. Bonjour JP, Kraenzlin M, Levasseur R, Warren M, Whiting S. Dairy in adulthood: from foods to nutrient interactions on bone and skeletal muscle health. J Am Coll Nutr. 2013; 32:251–263.
Article
6. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (US). Lactose intolerance [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse;2014. cited 2014 August 23. Available from: http://www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov/lactoseintolerance.
7. Choi YS, Joung H, Kim J. Evidence for revising calcium dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for Korean elderly. FASEB J. 2013; 27:1065.28.
8. Wu L, Martin BR, Braun MM, Wastney ME, McCabe GP, McCabe LD, DiMeglio LA, Peacock M, Weaver CM. Calcium requirements and metabolism in Chinese-American boys and girls. J Bone Miner Res. 2010; 25:1842–1849.
Article
9. Jang YA, Lee HS, Kim BH, Lee Y, Lee HJ, Moon JJ, Kim CI. Revised dietary guidelines for Koreans. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008; 17:Suppl 1. 55–58.
10. Kweon S. Intakes of calcium and dairy products in Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Public Health Wkly Rep. 2013; 6:821–827.
11. Paik HY, Kim CI, Moon HK, Yoon JS, Joung H, Shim JE, Jung HJ. 2008 dietary goals and dietary guidelines for Korean adults. Korean J Nutr. 2008; 41:887–899.
12. The Korean Nutrition Society. Dietary reference intakes for Koreans 2010. Seoul: The Korean Nutrition Society;2010.
13. Joo NS, Dawson-Hughes B, Kim YS, Oh K, Yeum KJ. Impact of calcium and vitamin D insufficiencies on serum parathyroid hormone and bone mineral density: analysis of the fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV-3, 2009 and KNHANES V-1, 2010). J Bone Miner Res. 2013; 28:764–770.
Article
14. Kim SH, Kim WK, Kang MH. Effect of milk and milk products consumption on physical growth and bone mineral density in Korean adolescents. Nutr Res Pract. 2013; 7:309–314.
Article
15. Yang YJ, Kim J. Factors in relation to bone mineral density in Korean middle-aged and older men: 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Ann Nutr Metab. 2014; 64:50–59.
Article
16. Heaney RP. Vitamin D and calcium interactions: functional outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008; 88:541S–544S.
Article
17. Hong H, Kim EK, Lee JS. Effects of calcium intake, milk and dairy product intake, and blood vitamin D level on osteoporosis risk in Korean adults: analysis of the 2008 and 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Nutr Res Pract. 2013; 7:409–417.
Article
18. Fenton TR, Lyon AW, Eliasziw M, Tough SC, Hanley DA. Phosphate decreases urine calcium and increases calcium balance: a meta-analysis of the osteoporosis acid-ash diet hypothesis. Nutr J. 2009; 8:41.
Article
19. Heaney RP, Kopecky S, Maki KC, Hathcock J, Mackay D, Wallace TC. A review of calcium supplements and cardiovascular disease risk. Adv Nutr. 2012; 3:763–771.
Article
20. Peterlik M, Boonen S, Cross HS, Lamberg-Allardt C. Vitamin D and calcium insufficiency-related chronic diseases: an emerging world-wide public health problem. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2009; 6:2585–2607.
Article
21. Boonen S, Lips P, Bouillon R, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Vanderschueren D, Haentjens P. Need for additional calcium to reduce the risk of hip fracture with vitamin d supplementation: evidence from a comparative metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007; 92:1415–1423.
Article
22. Monma Y, Niu K, Iwasaki K, Tomita N, Nakaya N, Hozawa A, Kuriyama S, Takayama S, Seki T, Takeda T, Yaegashi N, Ebihara S, Arai H, Nagatomi R, Tsuji I. Dietary patterns associated with fall-related fracture in elderly Japanese: a population based prospective study. BMC Geriatr. 2010; 10:31.
Article
23. Rice BH, Quann EE, Miller GD. Meeting and exceeding dairy recommendations: effects of dairy consumption on nutrient intakes and risk of chronic disease. Nutr Rev. 2013; 71:209–223.
Article
24. Pasiakos SM. Exercise and amino acid anabolic cell signaling and the regulation of skeletal muscle mass. Nutrients. 2012; 4:740–758.
Article
25. Avenell A, Mak JC, O'Connell D. Vitamin D and vitamin D analogues for preventing fractures in post-menopausal women and older men. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014; 4:CD000227.
Article
26. Crandall CJ, Newberry SJ, Diamant A, Lim YW, Gellad WF, Suttorp MJ, Motala A, Ewing B, Roth B, Shanman R, Timmer M, Shekelle PG. Treatment to prevent fractures in men and women with low bone density or osteoporosis: update of a 2007 report. Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, No. 53. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality;2012.
27. Reid IR. Should we prescribe calcium supplements for osteoporosis prevention? J Bone Metab. 2014; 21:21–28.
Article
28. van den Bergh JJ, Bidar SS, Bours S, van Geel TA, Geusens PP. Need of calcium and vitamin D in patients after recent fracture. Food Nutr Sci. 2012; 3:539–547.
29. Rice BH. Dairy and cardiovascular disease: a review of recent observational research. Curr Nutr Rep. 2014; 3:130–138.
Article
30. Huth PJ, Park KM. Influence of dairy product and milk fat consumption on cardiovascular disease risk: a review of the evidence. Adv Nutr. 2012; 3:266–285.
Article
31. Weaver CM. Calcium supplementation: is protecting against osteoporosis counter to protecting against cardiovascular disease? Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2014; 12:211–218.
Article
32. Lee HJ, Cho JI, Lee HS, Kim CI, Cho E. Intakes of dairy products and calcium and obesity in Korean adults: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) 2007-2009. PLoS One. 2014; 9:e99085.
Article
33. Fogelholm M, Anderssen S, Gunnarsdottir I, Lahti-Koski M. Dietarymacronutrients and food consumption as determinants of long-term weight change in adult populations: a systematic literature review. Food Nutr Res. 2012; 56.
34. Shin H, Yoon YS, Lee Y, Kim CI, Oh SW. Dairy product intake is inversely associated with metabolic syndrome in Korean adults: Anseong and Ansan cohort of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. J Korean Med Sci. 2013; 28:1482–1488.
Article
35. Gao D, Ning N, Wang C, Wang Y, Li Q, Meng Z, Liu Y, Li Q. Dairy products consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2013; 8:e73965.
Article
36. Margolis KL, Wei F, de Boer IH, Howard BV, Liu S, Manson JE, Mossavar-Rahmani Y, Phillips LS, Shikany JM, Tinker LF. Women's Health Initiative Investigators. A diet high in low-fat dairy products lowers diabetes risk in postmenopausal women. J Nutr. 2011; 141:1969–1974.
Article
Full Text Links
  • CNR
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr