Largest, Longest Calcium Study to be Conducted

A team at Florida State University, armed with an $840,000 grant from USDA, is getting ready to conduct the largest, longest trial on to date on the efficacy of calcium and bone preservation in overweight or obese postmenopausal women. Department of Nutrition Food and Exercise Sciences professor Jasminka Ilich will spearhead the calcium research targeting Caucasian women who are two to 10 years past menopause and classified as overweight or obese. The results are expected to shed some light on calcium’s role at the cellular level in terms of overall functioning of bone and adipose (fat) tissue in such women.

During the study, one group of women will consume low-fat dairy products, while another will receive calcium supplements. A control group will have the lowest overall dairy intake and will not receive supplements. While the current recommendation of calcium for this age group is 1200 mg, the FSU researchers will study the impact of 1500 mg per day. Recruitment for the study begins in June. The study is expected to last approximately one year.