According to the passage, dietary calcium intake _________.

According to the passage, dietary calcium intake was discovered to decrease the chance of symptomatic kidney stone formation, after adjustment for age. The passage mentions that a high intake of calcium reduces the urinary excretion of oxalate, which is believed to lower the risk of kidney stones. The study conducted by Stanford researchers found that dietary calcium intake was inversely associated with the risk of stones, meaning that a higher intake of calcium was actually associated with a decreased risk of symptomatic kidney stones. Therefore, the passage indicates that dietary calcium intake has a protective effect against kidney stone formation.