Discourse Chronicle

A study of more than 36,000 healthy postmenopausal women determined that taking a standard calcium-and-vitamin-D supplement for seven years had no significant effect for most of them on preventing fractures in the spine, arms and hips, although it did lead to a 1% improvement in hip-bone density. Yet women who managed to take the vitamin-mineral combo at least four days out of five had a statistically significant 29% fewer hip fractures. And women over 60 suffered 21% fewer broken hips.

A companion study found no beneficial effect on the rate of colorectal cancer. But those women were not at any particular risk of colorectal cancer. Other studies have concluded that men and women who have already had one precancerous polyp surgically removed from their intestinal tract develop fewer subsequent polyps if they take calcium supplements.

[…]

But there are still some quirks in the data. More than half the participants were also on hormone therapy, which is known to increase bone density. Moreover, most of the studies’ subjects were already getting more calcium and vitamin D from their diet than the average American woman. Maybe supplements work best in people who need them most. Finally, the women were on the chunky side, which also protects bones.

[A few years ago, I was taking a multi-vitamin because I was learning how to cook on my own and constantly caught a cold during winter (four consecutive infections). Now, I learned how to make a few more things in the kitchen and maintain a policy of “If I don’t eat it, then I must drink it,” referring to fruits and vegetables. Whenever I go to the grocery store now, half gallons of orange juice and V8 are not uncommon for me to buy. I also stopped taking multi-vitamins and I am not entirely sure they were doing anything for me at all. BK]

category: Health, Rhetoric and Poetics