Calcium supplements prevent all bone fractures
MisleadingThe Claim
Many people believe that taking calcium supplements will significantly reduce their risk of any type of bone fracture, relying on calcium as the primary means of maintaining bone strength.
Origin
This myth is largely propagated by marketing campaigns and early studies that emphasized calcium's role in bone health without considering other factors like vitamin D and overall diet.
What Science Says
Research, including meta-analyses, indicates that calcium supplementation alone has a modest effect on fracture risk. A 2015 meta-analysis in the BMJ found that calcium supplements reduce fracture risk by only 10-20%, and the effect is even less pronounced in individuals with sufficient dietary calcium intake. The combination of calcium with vitamin D shows a slightly better outcome.
Verdict
Misleading
Sources
- PMID:31860103 Vitamin D and Calcium for the Prevention of Fracture: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
- PMID:26510847 Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and risk of fractures: an updated meta-analysis from the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
- PMID:29279934 Association Between Calcium or Vitamin D Supplementation and Fracture Incidence in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.