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PARIS, FRANCE. There is ample evidence that a sufficient intake
of calcium is essential in maintaining bone health throughout
one's life. A daily intake of between 1200 and 1500 mg/day is now
recommended for adolescents, pregnant and nursing women, and
people over 65 years of age. Recent research has shown that the
beneficial effects of calcium intake wear off after a few hours
and that supplements are best taken in doses of 500 mg or less
because smaller quantities are much better absorbed than are large
ones. The most common sources of dietary calcium are dairy
products and calcium-rich vegetables.
Researchers at the Pitie-Salpetriere Medical School have just
completed a study which shows that ingestion of as little as 0.5
liters (18 oz) of calcium-rich mineral water (Vittel) has an
immediate and profound effect on the prevention of bone loss.
Their experiment involved 12 healthy young men who participated in
a series of tests designed to compare the effects of a natural
mineral water containing 345 mg/L of elemental calcium with that
of a mineral water containing only 10 mg/L. The study
participants (after an overnight fast) drank 0.5 liters of either
of the two mineral waters and then had blood and urine samples
collected for the next four hours. The ingestion of the calcium-
rich water significantly inhibited the secretion of parathyroid
hormone after one hour and the effect was still evident after four
hours. The blood level of type 1 collagen cross-linked C-
telopeptide (CTx) also declined markedly after drinking the
calcium-rich water. Low levels of parathyroid hormone and CTx are
both beneficial in that they are associated with a reduction in
bone loss (resorption). The researchers conclude that drinking
calcium-rich mineral water throughout the day will not only ensure
an adequate water intake, but will also help to preserve bone
mass.
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