You know that calcium is important for your bone wellness, but what about other aspects of your wellbeing? If you take calcium supplements, your heart health could suffer. This is according to the results of a new study, published in the journal Heart, which indicate that if you do take calcium supplements, you should take a second look at your regime.
Calcium is a popular supplement to take in our pill-popping world, as it helps to prevent fractures and brittle bone diseases like osteoporosis. Those who are particularly at risk to these consequences; namely the elderly and menopausal and post-menopausal women, are pushed into taking calcium supplements, but research indicates that this increased intake can put those individuals at risk of a heart attack.
To come to this conclusion, researchers evaluated nearly 24,000 individuals who participated in one arm of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. When they enrolled on the study in 1994 to 1998, all the participants were aged between 35 and 64, filling out food frequency questionnaires to detail their dietary and supplementation habits. The researchers documented a total of 354 heart attacks, 260 strokes, and 267 deaths during the study’s 11-year follow-up.
The results of the study showed that calcium supplementers were 86% more likely to experience a heart attack than study participants who did not take any supplements. However, those who consumed a moderate 820mg of calcium daily from all food and supplements had a 31% lower risk of having a heart attack than subjects in the bottom 25% of calcium intake. The authors also discovered that there was no evidence to prove calcium was either positively or negatively linked to the risk of stroke.
The authors concluded, ‘increasing calcium intake from diet might not confer significant cardiovascular benefits, while calcium supplements, which might raise [heart attack] risk, should be taken with caution.’ Therefore, it seems as though there are clear benefits and risks of taking calcium, and if you want to determine the best course of action for you, you should discuss your calcium requirements with a doctor or knowledgeable professional.
Comments are closed.