Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Supplemental calcium (≥1200 mg) alone or combined with vitamin D (≥800 IU) reduces the risk of osteoporotic fractures in adults aged 50 and older.
If you are 50 or older, taking at least 1200 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D daily can reduce your risk of breaking a bone. This is a proven, relatively inexpensive way to protect your skeletal health as you age.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
These findings demonstrate that supplemental calcium, alone or combined with vitamin D, can prevent osteoporotic bone fractures.
Why this rating
The study is a meta-analysis of 29 randomized trials involving 63,897 adults.
Source
Use of Calcium or Calcium in Combination With Vitamin D Supplementation to Prevent Fractures and Bone Loss in People Aged 50 Years and Older: A Meta-analysis
Benjamin Tang et al. · Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey · 2008
DOI 10.1097/01.ogx.0000298339.68546.3c
Meta-analysis · 29 studiesCited 191×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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