Even if we don’t always follow it completely, most of us know that balance and moderation are essential to a healthy diet, and that includes incorporating vitamins and minerals into our daily routine. However, it is also worth bearing in mind that it is possible to have too much of a good thing – and, in the case of a mineral, this is particularly true. Research has shown that, in excess, calcium supplements have the potential to cause damage to the heart. Read on to find out why less can be more in the case of calcium and, for another vitamin, you may need to go back in time, make sure you take too much of this vitamin, it can be toxic, experts say.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases emphasizes the importance of calcium for general health. “Calcium is necessary for our heart, muscles and nerves to function properly and for blood to clot,” they explain.
It is also critical to bone health. Low calcium levels lead to low bone mass and high fracture rates. “Most people are not getting the calcium they need to grow and maintain healthy bones,” explain experts at the National Institute. “Inadequate calcium contributes significantly to the development of osteoporosis”.
They advise that men between the ages of 51 and 70 need 1,000 mg a day, while women need a little more at 1,200 mg. Sex apart, anyone over 70, they say, should try to consume 1,200 mg a day. And to learn more about supplements, check out The vitamin you should never take, doctors say.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation warns that many people think wrongly about bones and imagine them as a hard, solid mass, rather than growing, living tissue that needs nutrition. Along with regular exercise and smoking cessation, they recommend taking enough calcium and vitamin D as “essential to building strong, dense bones when you are young and to keep them strong and healthy with age”.
In response to this advice, many people take extra calcium supplements. Johns Hopkins Medicine estimates that “more than half of women over 60 take calcium supplements – many without the supervision of a doctor – because they believe it will reduce their risk of osteoporosis.” And for signs of a lack of certain vitamins and minerals, check out 20 surprising signs that you have a vitamin deficiency.
In a 2016 report published in the American Heart Association Journal, Johns Hopkins researchers analyzed 10 years of medical examinations covering more than 2,700 patients to examine the causes of heart disease. They concluded that taking calcium in the form of supplements “may increase the risk of plaque build-up in the arteries and damage to the heart.”
However, the problem seemed specifically related to consuming the mineral as an additional pill, as opposed to a naturally occurring element in foods, since “a diet rich in calcium-rich foods appears to be protective.” Good dietary sources of calcium include dairy products, oily fish such as sardines and dark green leaves.
“When it comes to using vitamin and mineral supplements, particularly calcium supplements for bone health, many Americans think that more is always better,” study coauthor Erin Michos, MD, current director of Women’s Cardiovascular Health at Johns Hopkins, said in a statement. “But our study adds evidence that excess calcium in the form of supplements can harm the heart and the vascular system.” And for more news about vitamins you may be deficient in, if your gums tend to bleed, you may be lacking in that vitamin, says the study.
The researchers looked at the effects of calcium supplements on the heart and vascular system because of suggestions from previous research that, when taken this way, it did not reach the skeleton, but it was also not fully expelled by urination, which means it was likely that was accumulating somewhere in the soft tissues of the body.
“As a person ages, calcium-based plaque builds up in the body’s main blood vessel, the aorta and other arteries, preventing blood flow and increasing the risk of heart attack,” explain Johns Hopkins experts. Although it is not yet known why the body processes supplemental calcium in this way, theories include the presence of calcium salts in tablets, or simply that such a large concentrated dose cannot be processed as it can when consumed through food.
Michos concludes that while “there seems to be no harm in eating a heart-healthy diet that includes calcium-rich foods … patients should really discuss any plan to take calcium supplements with their doctor to determine an appropriate dosage – or if they even need them. ”And to stay away from a calcium source, make sure your milk carton doesn’t say so, the CDC says don’t drink.