Since osteoporosis (most notably brought on by insufficient calcium intake) is one of the biggest health concerns for women, taking a calcium supplement may seem like a magic bullet. But although calcium is an important nutrient, too much can have negative health consequences.
 |
| Is It Safe To Keep Taking My Daily Calcium Supplement? |
Many American women don’t get enough calcium: Less than 38 percent take in 1,000 milligrams per day (mg/d), which the recommended dietary allowance for women 19 to 50 years old. And 30 percent of postmenopausal Caucasian women have osteoporosis, while 54 percent have osteopenia (weak bones but not to the level of osteoporosis).
Over-supplementation is not the answer. The Institute of Medicine has set an upper limit on calcium intake of 2,000 mg/d—beyond this you run the risk of health consequences. Elevated levels of calcium in your blood may promote calcification of your blood vessels (e.g. the depositing of calcium in your vessel walls), which decreases vascular elasticity and leads to slew of cardiac issues such as heart attacks and death.
However, research to date regarding calcium supplementation and increased risk of cardiac problems has been mixed and not of the highest quality.
A recenty study published in Osteoporosis International found no relationship between calcium supplementation and cardiovascular disease in 74,245 women. They also compared women with very low intakes of calcium (<500mg/d) with ones who had calcium intakes above the upper limit of 2,000 mg/d and found no association between higher intakes and increased risk of the disease.
source fitnessall
A recenty study published in Osteoporosis International found no relationship between calcium supplementation and cardiovascular disease in 74,245 women. They also compared women with very low intakes of calcium (<500mg/d) with ones who had calcium intakes above the upper limit of 2,000 mg/d and found no association between higher intakes and increased risk of the disease.
source fitnessall
