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The Doctor Game: Why calcium supplements may be killing us

Is there anything sacred anymore? For years, researchers have stressed that people are not getting sufficient calcium to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis (brittle bones). But now, a research report claims that calcium supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular disease...

All researchers believe it’s best to get calcium from dietary sources. But if a dietary deficiency exists, don’t stop calcium supplements, as it’s now possible to protect bones from osteoporosis and your heart from calcium infiltration. Rather, make certain you take 3,000 milligrams of vitamin D along with 100 micrograms of vitamin K2.

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Featured

 Calcium confusion: scientists divided over supplements

A clash between supporters and detractors of calcium supplements for better bone health is leading to conflicting headlines, leaving the public unsure about whom to believe.

 The Truth about Calcium

There is a lot of controversy over calcium; how much do we need? What are the best food sources? What about Vitamin D? Should I take calcium supplements? Does calcium contribute to cancer risk or reduce cancer risk?

Articles of Interest

Are Calcium Supplements ... Dangerous?

My doctor was on my case a few years ago for me to take a calcium supplement (namely because I tend to be a milk-avoider). So I did. But now, a major new study sheds light on some potentially frightening health risks of calcium supplements. Exactly what you need to know...

Are Calcium Supplements Safe?

Kidney stones are a known risk, but studies have investigated other potential safety concerns, including an increased risk of death, cancer and heart disease.

Calcium: Good; Calcium Supplements: Not So Much

While calcium consumed while eating food aided heart health, supplements were not correlated with similar benefits. Many people, particularly post-menopausal women, take calcium supplements hoping to minimize the loss of bone density and reduce their risk of osteoporosis. The findings from this study add to the increasing body of evidence that calcium supplements may increase the risk of a cardiac event while providing only minimal benefit.

Most People Can Skip Calcium Supplements, Prevention Panel Says

Women have been told for years that if they don't take calcium supplements religiously, they're putting themselves at risk of crippling hip fractures in old age. Now the word from a major government panel: Why bother?

The Calcium Supplement Controversy: Now What?

Indiscriminate discontinuation of calcium supplements is not necessary, but until additional data are available clinicians should promote adequate dietary calcium as a means to achieve the daily intake recommended by the Institute of Medicine, and reserve supplements for those who are unable or unwilling to achieve adequate dietary intake.

Thinking Twice About Calcium Supplements

But as with many other pills once regarded as innocuous, the safety and efficacy of calcium supplements in preventing bone loss is being called into question.

Vitamin D And Calcium Controversy

Don't let the headlines get the best of your bones! Calcium and vitamin D are essential to maintaining healthy bones straight through perimenopause and menopause. Luckily, if you eat a healthy diet, they are more than attainable -- they are inevitable!

Calcium and calcium supplements: Achieving the right balance

Before you consider calcium supplements, be sure you understand how much calcium you need, the pros and cons of calcium supplements, and which type of supplement to choose.

Calcium and Milk: What’s Best for Your Bones and Health?

Those advertisements pushing milk as the answer to strong bones are almost inescapable. But does “got milk?” really translate into “got strong bones?”

Calcium and Vitamin D

Getting enough calcium and vitamin D is essential to building strong, dense bones when you're young and to keeping them strong and healthy as you age. The information included here will help you learn all about calcium and vitamin D - the two most important nutrients for bone health.

Calcium Comes in Many Forms, Just Be Careful Not to Overdo It

Trying to get more calcium? The food industry is out to help with an ever-expanding array of options. From antacids and orange juice to cereals and chocolate chews, there are more sources than ever, but some are better than others. And you have to be careful not to overdo it.

Calcium supplements 'double risk of heart attack', study finds

Doctors dispute results but advise people not to take supplements unless required for medical condition.

Calcium: Pill or the Real Thing?

Increasing calcium through either diet or supplements is equally effective at reducing calcium loss in postmenopausal women.

Can calcium supplements cause heart disease?

People taking calcium supplements to mitigate their risk of developing bone disease (osteoporosis) may be doing more harm to their health than good. That’s because a growing body of research shows the supplements confer little benefit and increase the risk of developing heart disease.

Dietary Supplements: Calcium and Bone Health

How much calcium should you be consuming and what are the risks of taking too much?

How we got duped into believing milk is necessary for healthy bones

AH: Milk is the only food that makes up an entire food group. If you look at it logically, it doesn’t deserve that special status any more than pumpkin seeds deserve that just because they’re high in magnesium — which is an essential nutrient Americans are low in. Even the dairy industry recognizes that milk is not essential to health. They can’t counter that fact. Their comeback is that milk and milk products are the most convenient form of calcium. But that argument doesn’t hold anymore.

How well does calcium intake really protect your bones?

Ask anyone how to prevent bone fractures and they’re likely to answer, “Get more calcium.” Medical experts have tended to agree. For example, the Institute of Medicine advises a calcium intake of 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams (mg) a day for most adults. But in the last five years, we’ve also learned that calcium — at least, in the form of supplements — isn’t risk-free. An intake of 1,000 mg from supplements has been associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney stones, and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Huge Study Identifies Important Vitamin for Women Over 50

Some great news was just released that is sure to make big believers in the power of vitamin D smile... and maybe just a little smug. Not only is this little "vitamin that could" essential for keeping our brain cells healthy and percolating as we age, but taken with calcium, it offers a host of other health benefits, too.

Life After 50: Vitamin D And Calcium -- Confused By Conflicting Reports? You're Not Alone

Why does it sometimes seem as though the medical community purposely wants to confuse, confound and worry us with a continuous flow of reports that are often at odds?

Mystery of why arteries harden may have been solved, say scientists

Study finds calcium deposits are triggered by molecule produced by damaged cells

Nutritional strategies for skeletal and cardiovascular health: hard bones, soft arteries, rather than vice versa

It is becoming increasingly clear that the fundamental unit for nutrition is the food (eg, milk, nuts, eggs), not the nutrient (eg, calcium, saturated fat, cholesterol). A nutrient perceived as beneficial, such as calcium, may be unhealthy if the parent food, say milk, contains other nutrients, such as galactose, that on the balance might stimulate adverse effects in the body. In theory, consuming calcium-rich foods such as bones, fermented dairy (eg, unsweetened yogurt, kefir, cheese), leafy greens, almonds, and chia seeds may be an effective strategy for improving both calcium intake and long-term health.

Should I Be Taking a Calcium Supplement?

Calcium is an essential mineral for bones and teeth. Making sure to get enough of it over a lifetime can help prevent osteoporosis. For most people, a well-balanced diet often provides enough calcium so supplementation is not required. A recently revised U.S.-Canadian dietary guideline states that no increase in calcium intake is required for either pregnant or lactating women.

Study Finds Calcium Supplements Don't Prevent Broken Bones

Calcium and vitamin D supplements increased the risk of kidney stones but did not prevent broken bones or colorectal cancer in middle-aged and elderly women, according to an extensive study whose results are to be published Thursday.

Resources

18 Surprising Dairy-Free Sources Of Calcium

Fun fact: Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, and is found naturally in a wide variety of foods and beverages and added to many others! (Hellooo, orange juice.) But whether lactose-intolerant or sick of wine and cheese parties, there's no need to rely only on dairy products for that daily dose of calcium

7 Popular Supplements That May Have Hidden Dangers

Calcium is essential for a strong skeleton, but as with all nutrients, too much of this mineral may be harmful. As the NIH notes, more than 2,500 mg per day for adults ages 19 to 50, and more than 2,000 mg per day for individuals 51 and over, can lead to problems.

Top 10 Foods Highest in Calcium

High calcium foods include dark leafy greens, cheese, low fat milk and yogurt, bok choy, fortified tofu, okra, broccoli, green beans, almonds, and fish canned with their bones.

International Osteoporosis Foundation

The amount of calcium we need to consume changes at different stages in our lives. Calcium requirements are high in our teenage years with the rapid growth of the skeleton1. With age, the body’s ability to absorb calcium declines, which is one of the reasons why seniors also require higher amounts2.

NIH

Intake recommendations for calcium and other nutrients are provided in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (formerly National Academy of Sciences).

Natures Health Foods

Years of advice seemed to be overturned in an instant a few years ago, when the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) reported that volunteers who took a calcium supplement plus vitamin-D were just as likely to suffer fractures as women given placebos. But that part of the WHI study was so riddled with flaws that its conclusions can't be trusted.