(Boston Globe) — Older people, and postmenopausal women in particular, are often advised to take calcium pills to avoid broken bones that can come with aging. A new review links calcium supplements with a higher rate of heart attacks.
Ian Reid of the University of Auckland in New Zealand and colleagues pooled the results of 11 clinical trials in which 12,000 people over 40 were randomly assigned to take either a placebo or at least 500 milligrams of calcium a day for an average of 3 1/2 years. After considering age, smoking, high blood pressure, and other risk factors for heart disease, the researchers found that people who took calcium supplements were 30 percent more likely to have a heart attack than people who took placebos.
Previous research has shown no increased risk of heart disease in people whose diets contain high amounts of calcium, leading the authors to conclude that calcium supplements should be looked at more closely.
(13 votes, average: 3.54 out of 5)
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I am 60yr.ld and have a left bundle branch block.
I have been taking calcium with magnesium and vit, D on and off for several years. I mostly use soy milk and a small amount of dairy milk daily. This I started about 2years ago. Whenever I come off the calcium tabs. I get cramps in my legs. I have decided after reading this latest research finding to use the calcium on alternative days. I am sorry to say that even the doctors differ in opinions surrounding various daily nutritional supplements. I therefore use my own discretion and feelings before taking them.
I have taken calcium tablets plus D,1200 mg per day, does it means that I should cut down the amount daily? should I talk with my doctor about this change? I am 73 years old.
About time!
Now, when will someone be brave enough to tell people that drinking milk (because of the high calcium content) also adds to the risk of osteoporosis?
I grew up on a dairy farm and both my parents had severe osteoporosis. My father drank gallons of that stuff. Mum less so, but she loved cheese. Dad fractured a hip in his eighties. When milk production was too high we poured the milk down the drain. Guess why? Cows’ milk, unless very diluted with water is not a suitable drink for grown cows. If it is not suitable for grown cows, it is not suitable for human consumption, despite being calcium rich.
I have been on a mainly vegetarian milk-free diet for 15 years and a recent hair analysis showed that my calcium intake was sufficient. All coming from the same or similar stuff that cows eat – greens. If food is grown on good soil supplements should not be necessary and there is no need to drink milk either.
Are there calcium liquid or easier absorbable calcium tablets that are safer than the regular pills?
It is a well known fact among naturopaths that calcium is the natural vascular tightener while magnesium does exactly the opposite, so this study should not come as a surprise to them and to any other people aware of this fact. Calcium supplements must include magnesium and zinc in some specific proportions to avoid an unbalance among these vital minerals. It is very common to find a magnesium deficiency in American diet and this is a hidden cause of many cardiovascular disorders, and this problem is exacerbated when so much emphasis has been made on the osteoporosis alone and so many calcium-alone supplements have been devised to cope with it.
I agree that magnesium is far superior for the heart than calcium. This study, however, is the typical “medical doctor”, drug company research. Taking calcium in isolation is NEVER recommended by any competent practioner, whether naturopath or medical doctor. Calcium should only be taken as a supplement in combination with other synergistic vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium and especially vitamin D.
does anymore know the best type of magnesium to take? need help…….there are so many different types.