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Contact: Dean Neuls, AlgaeCal Inc.
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Algae-derived calcium reverses age-related decline in bone mass only slowed by other calcium supplements
New Findings of 7-Year Study Reported in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition
Vancouver, BC, March 9, 2016 — After midlife, normal age-related annual bone loss is about -1%. Traditional calcium supplements may slow, but do not reverse, this age-related bone loss.(1)
Now, a new 7-year longitudinal study, published in the February 2016 issue of The Journal of the American College of Nutrition, suggests a vitamin-mineral enhanced plant-based calcium supplement, AlgaeCal (AC) can produce a positive change in bone mineral density sufficient to outpace age-related bone loss.(2)
Results of this 7-year study show that AC produced consistent and linear gains in BMD, averaging 1.04% per year over the full duration of the study. In addition to calcium and vitamin D3, the AC supplements provided trace minerals, magnesium, vitamin K (as MK-7), boron, vitamin C, and elemental strontium (from citrate).
“This study is a follow-up to 2 previous comparative effectiveness research studies that found taking AC was associated with significant increases in BMD over a 6-month study period. This significantly longer study is now the third to suggest that an age-related decline in bone mass and its accompanying increased risk for fracture is not inevitable,” says principal researcher, Gilbert R. Kaats, PhD.,(3) (4)
Study participants (172 healthy women) were recruited by contacting consumers who had purchased AC from 1 to 7 years, had completed at least one dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) BMD scan and/or blood chemistry test, and had not been taking anti-resorptive drugs or bone anabolic medications. Participants volunteered to complete complimentary BMD tests and allow the use of their redacted data.
In response to concerns that long-term use of calcium supplements may have adverse cardiovascular effects,(5) a 45-measurement blood chemistry panel was used to evaluate and compare baseline-ending changes in lipids and other blood chemistries between AC consumers and non-AC users. No adverse effects or safety concerns were found.
The AC supplement was associated with a significant annualized and linear increase in BMD of 1.04% per year, 7.3% over the 7- year study period. These positive results stand in marked contrast to normative or expected losses in BMD of at least -0.4% per year seen in 3 large databases or their combination (n=25,885): the Centers for Disease Control, GE Lunar Norms, and the IHTI longitudinal database. The results are also consistent with the two earlier 6-month studies suggesting that the AC supplement can facilitate significant increases in total body BMD.
AC is a South American marine algae, species lithothamniom superpositum. Formulation details can be found at blog.algaecal.com.
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For details and the study abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26885697
References
- Jackson RD, LaCroix AZ, Gass M, et al. Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and the risk of fractures. N Engl J Med. 2006 Feb 16;354(7):669-83. PMID: 16481635
- Kaats GR, Preuss HG, Stohs S, Perricone N. A 7-Year Longitudinal Trial of the Safety and Efficacy of a Vitamin/Mineral Enhanced Plant-Sourced Calcium Supplement. J Am Coll Nutr. 2016 Feb 17: 1-9. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 26885697
- Kaats GR, Preuss HG, Croft HA, et al. A comparative effectiveness study of bone density changes in women over 40 following three bone health plans containing variations of the same novel plant-sourced calcium. Int J Med Sci. 2011 Mar 2;8(3):180-91. Erratum in: Int J Med Sci. 2013;10(9):1135. PMID: 241448303
- Michaelek JE, Preuss HG, Croft HA, et al. Changes in total body bone mineral density following a common bone health plan with two versions of a unique bone health supplement: a comparative effectiveness research study. Nutr J. 2011 Apr 14;10:31. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-10-32. PMID: 21492428
- Bolland MJ, Avenell A, Baron JA, et al. Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis. BMJ. 2010 Jul;29;341:c3691. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c3691. Review. PMID: 20671013
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