2023 Volume 40 Pages 70-76
An increasing number of middle-aged and older adults are interested in preventing locomotive syndrome to extend healthy life expectancy, and supplements for preventing locomotive syndrome are increasing in the market. In this study, we measured the mineral concentration in locomotive syndrome-related supplements (glucosamine-based, calcium- based, BCAA-based, Chinese medicine) purchased from the market, and determined the daily mineral intake based on the recommended daily intake on the package label. The results showed that calcium, magnesium, and iron levels in calcium-based supplements were high and exceeded the EAR and RDA of the Dietary Reference Intakes. This suggested that the combination of food and supplements, or the intake of multiple supplements may lead to excessive intake of minerals and cause health problems. Further, to investigate the effects of excessive calcium intake on learning and memory in animal studies, we performed behavioral tests after long-term administration of calcium to aged female mice. The results showed that the administration of 2000 and 3000 ppm of calcium showed a tendency to decrease learning and memory ability in the novel object recognition test. Excessive intake of calcium may cause a decline in learning and memory ability. These results show that combined intake of food and supplements may result in excessive intake of calcium, which may lead to dementia.
