Taking a calcium supplement of up to 1,000 mg per day can help women live longer, according to a research.
The study conducted by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), found that daily use of calcium supplements in women was associated with a lower risk of death, irrespective of cause.
The study's lead author, Prof. David Goltzman, Director, Calcium Research Laboratory at McGill said that the benefit was seen for women who took doses of up to 1,000 mg per day, regardless of whether the supplement contained vitamin D.
The longitudinal study of participants living in or near 9 cities across Canada, monitored the health of 9,033 Canadians between 1995 and 2007, during which 1,160 participants died.
Goltzman said that the same benefits were seen when the calcium came from dairy foods, non-dairy foods or supplements.
Although the data showed women who took calcium supplements had a lower mortality risk, there was no statistical benefit for men.
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The study found no conclusive evidence that vitamin D had an impact on mortality.
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).