The effect of Calcium and Sodium Intake on Bone Health

Abstract

Bone health gets more and more attention in the younger population since the peak bone mass will be achieved during one’s childhood and adolescence. Bone mineral density (BMD), an important indicator, is commonly used to indicate overall bone health. The development of BMD is critical during the growth period, which could contribute to less incidence of osteoporosis as people get old. Osteoporosis is one of the most common bone diseases, which could lead to other health complications. In addition to other factors affecting bone health such as physical activity and hormones, nutrition is the most important factor of bone health. Calcium (Ca) and vitamin D (VD) act hand in hand. The absorption of dietary calcium is highly affected by VD. Different hormones regulate Ca homeostasis and balance in the body. Moreover, bone remodeling is tightly regulated to conserve bone integrity. The bone formation is tightly coupled to the resorption. Dietary intake of sodium (Na) cannot be ignored as well. High intake of Na is negatively associated with bone health. The DASH diet with low sodium intake positively affects bone mineral density to some extent.