Anti-aging: Review and Experimental Clinical Study of Bioavailable Calcium−Probiotics and their Effect on Reversing Osteopenia, Osteoporosis, and other Common and Chronic Health Conditions

This review highlights the innovative anti-aging strategies through effective use of calcium supplements. With the advent of pharmacology, modern medical technology and scientific advances in food and nutrition, the longevity of human being significantly improved. However, living long or anti-aging does not make any sense unless people maintain excellent health and quality of life. Thus, maintaining good health is the prime requirement for anti-aging. Two diseases that rob the physical fitness of the people are sarcopenia (muscle loss) and osteoporosis (loss of bone mineral density). Both of these wasting diseases can be effectively controlled with proper nutrition, life style changes, and medical supplementation. This article describes the calcium supplementation and its importance in reversing and preventing osteomalacia and osteoporosis. It particularly focuses on the bioavailable calcium and the mechanism of calcium absorption in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The calcium transport patterns (trans-cellular and para-cellular), sites of maximum absorption of calcium in the GIT, the role of probiotics, vitamin D and dairy peptides to improve absorption of calcium have been briefly discussed. It is clearly evident that not all the calcium supplements available in the market are bioavailable. The role of calcium in controlling hypertension, cholesterol, triglycerides, obesity and reduction of colon cancer has been described. The merits of administering combination regimens of bioavailable calcium and probiotics have also been elaborated. Specific but limited clinical data has been presented demonstrating the effect of bioavailable calcium, fortified with vitamin D and probiotics with or without isoflavones, on reversing the osteopenia and controlling the osteoporosis associated symptoms. In conclusion, bioavailable calcium formulations hold promise as effective calcium supplements for better health.