Is Calcium Dangerous?
Friday, February 15, 2013
Beware! The press has jumped on a questionable newly published study with headlines that read, Research finding suggest that women with high intakes of calcium from dietary and supplementary sources are associated with twice the risk of death from heart disease when compared to those women with a lower intake.
This study is suggesting that calcium intake above 1,400 mg per day increases the risk of female cardiovascular morbidity. This study in question is based on data collected over a 20 year period from women enrolled in a Swedish study on mammograms. We have problems with the study methodology.
- The study compares apples to oranges. The data used to draw conclusions looked at diet and cancer, not whether calcium supplements were bad for the heart. This fact alone is reason enough to question the study results. This study calcium data is based on dietary intake, which is always questionable since rarely do subjects accurately remember what they ate last Tuesday, or even yesterday for that matter. The study does not identify the form of supplemental calcium the subjects were taking either. Another red flag!
After giving this much thought, it seems reasonable to reintroduce our readers to an early 2012 Friday Pearl that was written by one of our esteemed scientific advisory board member biochemist, Dr. Steven Whiting.
Dr. Whiting's Calcium Article:
A recent German study has, according to the drug driven press, indicated that taking calcium supplements places one at a greater risk for a heart attack! Once again the drug companies have the media in their pocket as this study has been published in virtually every publication and news broadcast worldwide.
Every week there are studies showing the deadly dangers of pharmaceuticals but do you ever hear about these? Could all the hundreds of previous studies proving that calcium supplementation is not only safe but also essential be wrong? Let's take a closer look.
I have been in the nutrition and supplement field for almost 35 years, and I have seen this pattern over and over again. The Los Angeles Times as well as many papers in Europe have proclaimed, "Calcium supplements increase heart attacks". This is NOT exactly what the study said. So are calcium supplements safe? It depends on what form of calcium, the co-factors and how you take it.
First of all, not all calcium supplements are the same. The majority of these products are simply ground up rock in the form of coral, dolomite, eggshell, etc. and are not only very difficult to absorb but also, due to their highly alkaline pH, potentially problematic. If you have followed our work with heart disease you know that cholesterol does not actually cause this problem.
The root cause is a condition called calcification of the arteries - where calcium builds up on the inside of certain spots on the artery due to free radical damage to the internal muscle wall. The most common form of calcium likely to contribute to this issue is alkaline calcium or that from cheap supplements. Calcium that has been pre-acidified through chelating with an acid is much less likely to remain circulating in the bloodstream for longer periods of time.
Absorption is the key to all nutrients, especially calcium. Essential co-factors must be present to facilitate calcium absorption to not only bone but to all areas where it is essential for life. The more of these co-factors present together with calcium the faster it will be absorbed to the tissues where it is needed.
The study concludes that perhaps taking calcium in higher one shot doses as in a supplement is a big part of the problem over getting calcium throughout the day as in food. There may be some logic in that, which is why we have always stressed to space out your calcium supplements throughout the day as only a limited amount of the mineral can be absorbed at one time. Whenever a study points to getting nutrients from food rather than supplements it's almost a guarantee that it was either funded or managed by pharmaceutical influenced interests such as our American Dietetic Association and similar organizations in Europe. Hundreds of studies have shown that the industrialized diet does not provide all the nutrients we need for optimal health, yet they keep singing that same tired song from the 1940's.
Let's see what some other studies have to say. May 2012, Journal of Clinical Nephrology: "Calcium and Vitamin D3 supplements proven effective in reducing bone loss in elderly women with kidney disease. Or how about: May 2012 Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice: "Effects of polycystic ovary syndrome alleviated with vitamin D and calcium supplementation".
These are just two studies, both from this month alone, showing the benefits of calcium supplementation.
So are calcium supplements safe? Yes, absolutely providing that you take a Full Spectrum supplement with the right form of acidified calcium together with all the co-factors for enhanced uptake and absorption. A good calcium supplement should contain chelated calcium and magnesium. It should also contain the absorption co-factors Manganese, boron, copper, zinc and strontium for bone absorption. Lastly you should space your calcium supplements throughout the day and take them with meals. If you do so, proper calcium supplementation will continue to provide you with the many health benefits it always has and that have been shown by literally hundreds of studies over the last few decades."
Ellen Troyer, MT MA
Biosyntrx CEO / Chief Research Officer
Steven Whiting, PhD
Biosyntrx Scientific Advisory Board
It's also disturbing, given the 2012 FDA warning published inThe New England Journal of Medicine suggesting that doctors need to reassess which women are likely to benefit from popular bone-building drugs like Fosamax, Actonel and Reclast, given the lack of evidence showing that taking them for the long term really helps and the possibility that they put some women at risk for serious side effects. Here is a video clip addressing the FDA warning featuring Dr. Clifford Rosen.
Another disturbing issue, given the number of studies suggesting diets with higher calcium density (calcium per total calories) to be associated with a reduced incidence of overweight and obesity. Obesity is now considered an epidemic in our country.
An important question for women to ask themselves: Have you given up calcium-rich dairy products because you think, or have been told by your doctor that you may be lactose intolerant? If so, think long and hard before giving up your calcium supplements based on the new study in question.
Also remember that a number of studies suggest the risk of mortality for a one year period in hip fracture patients over the age of 65 to be three times higher than that in the general population. The studies that address hip fracture mortality are below all the calcium studies.
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References Addressing Hip and Other Fracture Mortality in the Elderly