Calcium supplements double risk of heart disease in women

Did you know that ninety-nine percent of the body’s calcium is stored in our bones and teeth for structural support? In an age when we all have easy access to artificial calcium supplements, a number of us tend to go overboard with those flavoured calcium pills.

Recently a study published by the Journal of American Medical Association stated that having too much of calcium supplements could increase your risk of heart disease. In a country where bone related problems are as frequent as heart attacks, it is no wonder that city doctors are taking the warning seriously.

Doctors warn that you need not completely ignore calcium supplements all together, but moderation is the key. Senior heart surgeon Dr Ramakant Panda, said that India needs to rethink its calcium-popping ways. He told TOI ‘The study is relevant in the Indian context too. Unnecessary calcium supplementation should be avoided at all costs, unless there’s a clear indication of deficiency ascertained by a bone scan or other vitamin deficiencies.’

The study was carried out on 4 lakh middle-aged adults between the ages of 50 to 71 for over 12 years. The study found that men who had taken more than 1,000 milligrams of calcium everyday have nearly a 20% higher chance of dying due to heart related diseases. The study also states the possibility of the excess calcium getting deposited in the arteries and increasing the cardiovascular risk in some people.

Doctors usually recommend calcium supplements to women who are menopausal, pregnant women, teenagers and men over the age of 55 years. As these risk factors increase, the amount of calcium lost by the body is much greater, making the inclusion of supplements in their diet necessary.

How much is too much?

According to experts 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day for men and 1,400 milligrams of calcium per day for women is the maximum that should be included into ones diet. This limit is inclusive of natural sources as well as supplements. Although supplements are the easiest way to get that much needed calcium reserves topped up, here are some foods you could include into your diet to optimise your calcium intake.

Source	Amount of calcium in milligrams
Curd (plain)	452 per small cup
Cheese (cheddar)	307 per 20 ml
Soy milk	386 per cup
Milk	308 per glass
Tofu	253 per cup
Sesame seeds	88 per tablespoon
Almonds	750 per serving

What’s  all the hoopla about Calcium? Are calcium supplements really required? We have seen so many ads on the importance of calcium in our diet, does it really matter? Here are a few answers to those questions you all have and some tips to ensure that it is included and assimilated properly in your diet.

Why do we need calcium in our diet?

Calcium helps your body with:

• Building strong bones and teeth
• Clotting blood
• Sending and receiving nerve signals
• Contracting and relaxing muscles
• Releasing hormones and other chemicals
• Maintaining a normal heartbeat

What are the best sources of calcium? 

Undoubtedly, milk and dairy products like yoghurt and cheese are the best sources. In fact, good intakes of calcium, particularly in childhood, teenage years and early adulthood can help reduce your risk of developing (brittle bone disease) later in life. Osteoporosis currently affects one out three women and one out twelve men.

If you’re not much of a ‘dairy’ person or are lactose intolerant, you can include some of these foods in your diet:

• Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach
• Fish such as sardines (Chareeaddee Machli) and mackerel (Bangda or Black Pompret) are also good sources of calcium.
• Almonds and nuts

You might be including any or all of the above in your diet but still be suffering from calcium deficiency. This may be happening because of the way you cook them or factors which interfere with calcium absorption in your body. So, how can you ensure that all the calcium you consume is getting absorbed like it was intended to?

• Cook foods in a small amount of water and for the shortest possible time to retain more calcium in the foods you eat.
• Be careful about what you eat with calcium-rich foods. Certain fibers, such as wheat bran and foods with oxalic acid (spinach and rhubarb) can bind with calcium and prevent it from being absorbed.

Are calcium supplements really required?

Calcium supplements are useful when dietary intake is low, but certain factors must first be considered.

Chelated calcium and refined calcium carbonate tablets may be safely and effectively used by most people at the recommended doses for:

• The prevention and treatment of diseases such as osteoporosis, hypertension and possibly colon cancer.
• In addition, adequate calcium may protect against salt-sensitive and pregnancy-associated hypertension.

However, popping calcium pills whenever you feel like it without consulting your doctor may be harmful to you. Here’s why:

• Manipulations of dietary calcium have been repeatedly shown to alter blood pressure; supplemental dietary calcium lowers blood pressure, while restricted calcium diets elevate it
• Some studies have stated that calcium supplements may contain lead. Sometimes the lead is two times higher than what you would normally get from a food source. Lead at no concentration is safe.
• There is evidence that links the continual intake of calcium and Vitamin D leads to bone fragility and breast cancer.