MONDAY FEB 4, 2008 (Foodconsumer.org) — Combo treatments with vitamin D and calcium may not reduce the risk of diabetes in postmenopausal women, suggests a study published Jan 30 online in the journal Diabetes Care.

The results were derived when a dose of 1000 mg calcium and 400 IU were assigned daily to the study subjects. Dosage determines the efficacy and safety of any drug or supplements, a foodconsumer.org scientist cautioned, suggesting that at other dosages, the efficacy may manifest. Ian de Boer co-author of the study at the University of Washington and colleagues agreed in their report that “Higher doses of vitamin D may be required to affect diabetes risk.” They did not rule out that high doses of calcium and vitamin D may offer benefits.

For the study, the researchers looked at data from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) in which 33,951 postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to receive calcium (1000 mg) and vitamin D3 (400 IU) or placebo daily.

After the 7-year follow-up, 2,291 women were found suffering diabetes. But the researchers found there was no correlation between intervention with combo calcium/vitamin D supplements and risk of diabetes.

The findings of the study contradicted recent studies which showed there was a consistent association between low intakes of calcium, vitamin D or dairy intake and tyoe-2 diabetes. Those results were released in the journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Regardless, consumers should not forget getting enough calcium and vitamin D, preferably through dietary sources now that both are essential human nutrients. The current recommended daily allowance for vitamin D is way too low (200 IU for infants to adults under age 50), according to many experts.

Plants are good sources of calcium such as white beans, bok choy, kale, Chinese cabbage, broccoli and spinach. Enough exposure to sunshine is the best source of vitamin D.

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