Calcium supplements are not always necessary for most women and can even be dangerous. It is important to understand why they are not good for you and what you can do to preserve your bones. But what if you consume too much calcium? This is an especially relevant question for people who struggle to get enough calcium in their diet and are wondering if they should take supplements. Can calcium supplements do more harm than good? Contrary to popular belief, several studies have shown that calcium supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Some clinical trials have demonstrated that calcium supplementation can improve bone health in older adults. However, as an adult, you are much more likely to take a calcium supplement than four glasses of milk a day to protect your bone health. The supplement information panel will list the amount of elemental calcium provided by the various forms of calcium contained in supplements. Although diet is the best way to get calcium, calcium supplements may be an option if your diet is inadequate. Eating more isn't necessarily better, and too much calcium doesn't provide additional bone protection.
When people eat many different types of food, these interactions with oxalic or phytic acid are likely to have little or no nutritional consequences. Therefore, it is worth experimenting with adding small amounts of dairy products to your diet to see what you can tolerate. Active transport is responsible for most of the absorption when calcium intake is lower, and passive diffusion explains an increasing proportion of calcium absorption as intake increases. Several studies have found that taking calcium supplements to prevent hip fractures has little or no benefit. Calcium supplements can interact with many different prescription medications, including blood pressure medications, synthetic thyroid hormones, bisphosphonates, antibiotics, and calcium channel blockers.
If you take a supplement that also contains vitamin D, it will help your body absorb calcium more efficiently. Bone remodeling is needed to change the size of bones during growth, repair damage, maintain serum calcium levels, and provide a source of other minerals. The USPSTF also determined that evidence on the benefits of calcium supplementation alone or with vitamin D was inadequate to assess its effect on fracture prevention in premenopausal men and women. As with evidence on the relationship between increased calcium intake and reduced bone loss, research findings on the use of calcium supplements to prevent fractures in older adults are conflicting. However, the difference in risk was not statistically significant when considering both dietary and supplemental calcium intake. In conclusion, it is important to understand that taking additional calcium supplements may not be necessary if you are already taking other types of dietary supplements.
It is best to consult with your doctor before taking any type of supplement as they can interact with other medications and cause adverse effects.