Did you catch the news last week about calcium? It’s looking like taking a big calcium supplement may actually hurt your heart, and the study recommended they should be “taken with caution”.
In the light of this recent study, doctors who once cavalierly suggested calcium supplements to their patients may now change their recommendation.
In the long-term study of 24,000 people, those who took calcium as a single supplement without other nutrients seem to have a higher risk of heart attack than people who got their calcium from food sources and a multivitamin. If you look for fortified foods such as cereal and juices and naturally occurring in dairy products, green leafy vegetables, tofu, and some seafood, it’s not that difficult to meet your calcium requirement. For example, just 6 oz of calcium-fortified orange juice (300 mg), a bowl of calcium-fortified cereal (400 mg-750 mg) with ½ cup milk (150 mg), and 5 oz of salmon for dinner (350 mg) will yield between 1,200 mg and 1,550 mg/day.
Talk with your doctor about your risk of fracture and heart disease, and the best source of calcium to meet your needs.
Calcium supplements may do more harm than good
