Calcium and Vitamin D prevent stress fractures

A study carried out with women Navy recruits in the United States has shown that taking calcium and vitamin D supplements can reduce the risk of stress fractures (overuse injuries to the bone).

The study participants were more than 5,200 female U.S. Navy recruits, ages 17 to 35, doing eight weeks of basic training. They were divided into two groups -- one group received daily pill supplements of 2,000 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D, while the other group received placebo pills.

Results of the study were presented recently at the annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society. HealthDay News reports on the findings:

During the study, 170 of the recruits in the placebo group suffered stress fractures, 25 percent more than the group taking the supplements. The researchers also noted that a history of exercise decreased risk among women in the study, while cigarette smoking increased the risk.

"What really surprised us is that calcium/vitamin D supplements made a significant difference in such a short period of time. Frankly, we were not sure we would see any statistically significant results in only eight weeks," principal investigator Joan Lappe, a professor of nursing and medicine at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., said in a prepared statement.

Calcium and vitamin D supplementation has long been recommended to prevent osteoporosis. This new study shows another benefit to taking these supplements. It is important to choose a calcium supplement that includes vitamin D in the formulation, since vitamin D helps the body absorb the calcium.

Click here for more information about calcium, from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.