Even if highly recommended by medical experts, calcium supplements fail to prevent bone fractures in children, because they do not contribute to improving kids' bone density. Researchers at the Menzies Research Institute in Australia found that children who took Calcium supplements did not have stronger bones and were almost as likely as their counterparts that were off Calcium to suffer bone fractures.

If Calcium supplements are not that efficient in strengthening bones, increasing doses of vitamin D supplements and eating larger amounts of fruits and vegetables might work, Australian scientists advised. This is why parents should urge and teach their offspring to consume more natural foods over junk, rich in trans-fats, food.

Also, consuming alimentary products overloaded with Calcium might work better than simply taking Calcium pills. Calcium is highly present in milk and dairy products (yogurt, cheese), beans, nuts, peanuts, olives, egg yolk. In smaller quantities is found in meat, vegetables (parsley, peas, carrots, kohlrabi, celery, lettuce, radish, scallion, but not in spinach), soy beans and all soy products. Calcium is also present in fruits, bread and fish.

The quantity of Calcium to be found in an adult's body is approx 1,5 kilos. Calcium achieves different tasks, the most important being: the mineralization of the bone tissue (bones and teeth), maintaining the cardiac rhythm, coagulating the blood, regulating the acid-basic equilibrium.

For the study, researchers investigated the findings of 19 different studies on Calcium supplements and bone density. Overall, the studies investigated 2,859 healthy children with ages ranging between 3 and 18. They took Calcium supplements regularly for a 3 months period and the outcomes were measured after a 6 months period of follow up. Results showed that Calcium supplements had a rather insignificant effect upon bone density.

"The small effect of Calcium supplementation on bone mineral density in the upper limb is unlikely to reduce the risk of fracture, either in childhood or later life, to a degree of major public health importance. It may be appropriate to explore alternative nutritional interventions, such as increasing vitamin D concentrations and intake of fruit and vegetables," concluded the authors of the report.