The Role of Calcium in Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis

In brief: Calcium deficiency regularly produces osteoporosis in experimental animals. Adequate calcium intakes are essential for human bone health as well. However, human osteoporosis results from several factors; calcium deficiency is only one, and high calcium intake will prevent only those cases in which calcium is the limiting factor. Calcium, for example, will not reverse the bone loss due to inactivity. Because calcium requirement cannot feasibly be determined individually, it makes good sense to ensure a high calcium intake for every member of the population.