One of the often asked questions by my patients across all age groups is with related to whether calcium supplements and vitamin D supplements actually protect the bones?

People aged 50 and older who take calcium supplements are 12 per cent less likely to fracture a bone than their peers who don't take those pills and that protection rate doubles when calcium supplements are taken correctly.

A recent study in the esteemed medical journal Lancet claims that for best therapeutic effect, the recommended minimum doses of 1200 milligrams [mg] of calcium, and 800 IU [international units] of vitamin D (for combined calcium plus vitamin D supplementation.

During that time, people who took calcium supplements were not only less likely to fracture their bones, they also slightly reduced their rate of bone loss from their hip and spine, compared with people who didn't take calcium supplements.

Taking vitamin D supplements along with calcium supplements didn't budge the numbers much. But that may be because few studies used higher doses of vitamin D.

People aged 70 and older, those who didn't get much calcium from their diets, thin people, and those at high risk of bone fractures were particularly likely to benefit from taking calcium supplements.

One of the things that was not covered in the study includes the benefit of weight-bearing exercise, which helps strengthen bones, has shown benefit in other reports.

You've probably heard that calcium is important for bone health and treating - or preventing - osteoporosis. Happily, calcium seems to be everywhere these days. Not only is it naturally in dairy and other foods, but it now appears in many fortified products - like cereal, protein bars, and orange juice. Calcium is also sold in countless supplements for bone health that line the aisles of your local drugstore.

And yet, it's not enough!!!!!

Why? Part of the problem isn't just that we're not eating or taking enough calcium. For calcium to be absorbed and used, we need to have the right levels of other things, such as vitamin D. If we don't, the calcium we take in just doesn't do us much good.

So some of us could be drinking milk by the bucket and yet still not get the calcium we need.

So here's what you need to know about calcium supplements for bone health.

Why Is Calcium Important for Bone Health?

Calcium is key in the building of new bone. And bone development occurs every day of your life. Just as you shed skin cells and grow new ones to replace them, your body naturally removes old bone and replaces it with new.

The pace of losing and growing bone differs depending on your age. When you were young, you made much more bone than you lost, which is why your bones got bigger and stronger. But the problems start when this balance tips too far in the other direction, and you start losing bone much faster than you can grow it.

Gradual bone loss begins in adulthood and becomes more serious after age 50. In women, the hormonal changes of menopause - and the drop in estrogen levels that occur with it - can greatly worsen the imbalance. The bones naturally lose mass, becoming more brittle.

However, more calcium isn't always better. Getting too much calcium - 2,500 milligrams or above - can increase your risk of some health problems, like kidney stones.

Do I Need Calcium Supplements for Bone Health?

Osteoporosis is often a silent disease - you don't know your bones are weak until you break one. So what do you do?

Start by seeing your doctor. Together, you can discuss your diet and work out a rough estimate of your calcium intake.

If you're coming up short, then you either need to improve your diet or take a calcium supplement for bone health to bump you up to the recommended level.

Vitamin D Supplements for Bone Health

While calcium is crucial, taking it alone might not be enough. To actually get calcium into your bones, the body relies on other vitamins, minerals, and hormones.

The most important may be vitamin D. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium from the kidneys and intestines - calcium that would otherwise pass out of the body as waste. And according to osteoporosis experts, vitamin D deficiency is disturbingly common.

How Much Vitamin D Do We Need for Bone Health?

And how much vitamin D is necessary for good calcium absorption? Alas, the answer isn't simple. The National Institutes of Health still uses the traditional recommendations, which are:

• 200 IU (international units) for adults under 50
• 400 IU for ages 51-70
• 600 IU for ages 70 or over

But as the widespread deficiencies of vitamin D have become more apparent, some osteoporosis experts think that those levels are not nearly high enough.

(Dr Amit Varma is Chief Operating Officer and Director Critical Care Medicine at Fortis Flt Lt Rajan Dhall Hospital in Delhi)