INDUSTRY, C.A.—New research shows KoACT supports bone strength and improves flexibility in post-menopausal women. (The FASEB Journal. 2014, April;28:LB421. doi 10.1096/fj.1530-6860)

The research, conducted by Bahram H. Arkmandi, Ph.D, RD, the Margaret A. Sitton named professor and chair of the department of nutrition, food and exercise sciences at Florida State University, was presented at April’s Experimental Biology 2014 Annual Scientific Meeting.

Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans, or 55 percent of the people 50 years of age and older. In the United States, eight million women and two million men are estimated to already have the disease, and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis.

The study showed the long-term efficacy of KoACT in reducing bone loss in post-menopausal women. Thirty-nine women were randomly assigned to receive either 5 grams of KoACT containing 500 mg of elemental calcium and 200 International Units (IU) of vitamin D, or 500 mg of calcium in the form of calcium carbonate and 200 IU of vitamin D, which made up the control group.

Total bone mineral density (BMD) and BMD of the lumbar spine and hip were evaluated at baseline, six months and twelve months using duel energy x-ray absorptiometry. Blood was collected at baseline, six and twelve months to assess serum biomarkers of bone turnover. KoACT prevented the loss of whole body BMD (KoACT: - 0.004 vs control: -0.011; P < 0.05) at twelve months when compared to control. The KoACT group had reduced levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP5B) at six months (P <0.05) and higher bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) /TRAP5B ratio at six months (P <0.05) and tended to be higher at twelve months whereas there were no changes in control.

“Conventional thinking often entails the use of calcium and vitamin D supplements; however, these random controlled clinical studies on KoACT demonstrate that calcium alone is not the best option," said Jennifer Gu, AIDP’s vice president of research and development. “It is medically important for post-menopausal women to know that achieving optimal bone health requires using a product, like KoACT, that ‘mimics Mother Nature,’ in stopping bone loss by helping to build bone strength and slow bone resorption, the destruction, disappearance or dissolution of bones. Calcium alone is not the right answer."