Vitamin D vs. calcium

Executive Summary

Daily calcium intake of over 800 mg may not be as important as maintaining adequate vitamin D status, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Nov. 9. The cross-sectional study of 2,310 healthy Icelandic adults age 30-85. Laufey Steingrimsdottir, Public Health Institute of Iceland, et al., observed the effect the nutrients on calcium homeostatis, "as determined by serum intact parathyroid hormone (PTH)." Subjects completed food frequency questionnaires and were divided according to calcium levels. "Vitamin D sufficiency can ensure ideal serum PHT values even when the calcium intake level is less than 800 mg/day," authors conclude. Alternatively, high calcium intake (more than 1200 mg/day) and low vitamin D did not contribute to ideal levels...