So What About Calcium Supplements?
One of the most recommended supplements by physicians is Calcium. Personally I’ve never been a fan of calcium supplements. They are not well absorbed and they increase constipation – enough of a reason not to recommend them.
This past week The British Medical Journal published a review of different studies looking at the outcome of women taking calcium supplements. They were looking at the risk of fractures, bone density, etc.
Surprisingly, they discovered women taking calcium supplements had an increased risk of heart disease, or more specifically heart attacks. In addition, they did not seem to be of any benefit.
This study did not address calcium coming from foods, just supplements.
Bottom line: get your calcium from food – organic yogurt, cheese, cottage/ricotta cheese and milk. Calcium-containing foods are much better absorbed than supplements, and the best part is – a happier stomach.
August 25, 2010 @ 7:43 am
I'd like to add that a very recent Cochrane review (August 2010) demonstrated that calcium supplements may help in preventing pre-eclampsia significantly, even in women with adequate calcium intake at baseline. So it's not only about bones and heart disease. Nutrition can be complicated, but your bottom line is on point.
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Reijo
August 25, 2010 @ 3:01 pm
Thank you Reijo – much appreciated! And thank you for your wonderful site – I took a look!