Project Number: 1950-51000-057-03
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Oct 01, 2006
End Date: Sep 30, 2011

Objective:
LAB:Bone Health Refine the approach to determining the vitamin D requirement for optimal musculoskeletal and dental health in men and women. Define the impact of dietary protein and the acid/base balance of the diet on musculoskeletal health in men and women. Define the impact of calcium and vitamin D intake on insulin resistance and risk of developing Type 2 diatbetes in men and women.

Approach:
LAB:Bone Health The Bone Metabolism Laboratory will perform a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the impact of calcium intake on the vitamin D requirement. In the same study, the impact of endogenous hormone levels, gender, and other clinical characteristics on vitamin D metabolism will be examined by linear regression and other analyses. A series of three protein and amino acid intervention studies will be conducted in humans to define the impact of protein and the acid-base balance of the diet on short-term indicators of bone strength. These studies should provide the data needed to devise a dietary supplement to promote bone health. The effect of this supplement on rates of bone loss will be evaluated in a large RCT in older men and women.