Calcium Supplements: Helpful or Harmful?
BY JAYNE WESLER
The more I read, the more I have become convinced that taking calcium supplements is harmful to my health. A meta-analysis of 12,000 people in 11 randomized controlled trial concluded that taking 500 mg or more of daily calcium supplements was associated with a 30% increase in the risk of cardiovascular events. Most studies show that calcium supplementation has little effect on bone density of the spine and no effect on the bone density of the hip, two places where the most serious fractures occur. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/53/1/132/4691202… and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2053573/
Multiple studies on calcium supplementation showed little to no benefit for prevention of hip fractures. Recent studies link calcium supplementation to increased risk of a variety of ills, including colon polyps, kidney stones, and cardiovascular events like blood clots and calcium deposits on arterial walls. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/…/calcium-supplements…
Further, eating animal products increases our need for calcium and causes the body to leach calcium from the bones. Eating a plant-based, whole food diet will require less calcium. Some doctors still recommend taking D3 because it’s hard to get enough if you are relying on natural sunlight to do the job. If you are going meatless, doctors also recommend taking a B12 supplement. You can get your calcium from foods like broccoli, leafy greens like kale and collard greens, oranges, and beans.
I’m curious how many of you out there have thought about doing this or have actually done it for these or other reasons. Think I’m crazy? Or does this sound like something you’ve been thinking about? Please visit my Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/447909969863945 and post your thoughts and experience.