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Nine out of 10 women report taking concrete steps to prevent bone loss, including consuming calcium supplements (55 percent) and exercising (54 percent). However, fewer than half of these women realize phosphorus is also important for bone health. Without phosphorous, calcium's effectiveness is limited. Even among women diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia (i.e., low bone mass), only 21 percent were aware of phosphorus' health benefits.

Clinical studies have shown calcium supplemention without adequate phosphorus may actually lead to bone mass reduction. Research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that when calcium intake increases without a corresponding phosphorus increase, total phosphorus absorption falls and the risk for phosphorus deficiency rises. In 2001, a New England Journal of Medicine study using calcium phosphorus and vitamin D produced a 43 percent reduction in fracture risk within 18 months.

"Calcium and phosphorus work together like bricks and mortar," says Dr. Machelle Seibel, professor of obsretrics and gynecology at University of Massachusetts Medical School and medical director of Inverness Medical, Inc. "You need the appropriate amount of each to truly build a strong bone structure." One should consume 1,000mg to 1,300mg of calcium and 800mg of phosphorus daily.

# posted by Medical Information : 1:14 PM