A new study has found that adolescent girls may benefit from taking calcium supplements, although the effects do not last if the person stops taking supplements.
Researchers at the University of Sheffield set out to determine whether calcium supplements can help to boost bone mineral density on the hips.
They recruited 96 girls with an average age of 12, all of whom had low calcium intakes.
The girls were given additional calcium in the form of calcium citrate malate dissolved in a fruit drink, nearly doubling their daily intake.
The researchers found that calcium supplementation brought about a significant increase in hip bone mineral content after 18 months.
In addition, bone mineral density was also improved, although the effects were no longer noticeable after 42 months had passed.
The researchers, whose findings are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded: "Calcium supplementation enhances bone mineral accrual in teenage girls, but the effect is short-lived."
A new study has found that adolescent girls may benefit from taking calcium supplements, although the effects do not last if the person stops taking supplements.
