07.02.12
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has issued a report on vitamin D and calcium in mid-June. In response, Taylor Wallace, PhD, senior director of scientific and regulatory affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Washington, D.C., issued a statement underscoring the importance of calcium and vitamin D in the prevention of fractures and falls in the elderly. “The draft report issued today by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on vitamin D and calcium does not change expert recommendations for the benefits of calcium,” he said. “The Institute of Medicine (IOM) supports a Recommended Dietary Allowance of 600-800 IU vitamin D and 1000-1300 mg calcium daily for adults.”
“There are long-term randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which support that supplementation with calcium and vitamin D is beneficial for bone health, particularly in post-menopausal women and the elderly, when the diet is not sufficient,” Dr. Wallace continued. “For those individuals who are not getting recommended amounts from diet alone, supplementation may be necessary to help prevent falls and fractures.
“There are long-term randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which support that supplementation with calcium and vitamin D is beneficial for bone health, particularly in post-menopausal women and the elderly, when the diet is not sufficient,” Dr. Wallace continued. “For those individuals who are not getting recommended amounts from diet alone, supplementation may be necessary to help prevent falls and fractures.