Recent study findings from researchers at Deakin University in Australia have found that elderly men may benefit from daily supplements of fortified milk.
While very few studies have focused on the link between calcium and vitamin D in men, since women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than their male counterparts, the latest findings published in the journal Bone, found supplements to be very beneficial for men over the age of 62.
Researchers randomly assigned 61 male volunteers over the age of 50 to receive a daily supplement of fortified milk containing 500 mg calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D3. An additional 50 participants received no supplement and continued with their regular diet.
After a two-year follow up period, there was no difference between groups for total bone area. However, significant and beneficial changes were observed in the mid-femur bone material, suggesting preservation of the outer layers of the bone. Thinning of the outer layers of the bone is associated with osteoporosis.
Due to the complicated nutritional mixture of the milk supplement, researchers could not determine if the vitamin D3, calcium or combination of both were responsible for the observed bone health. Further studies are needed to examine this further.
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