Wellness

[LTT1]

My Calcium + Vit D pills are 800mg Ca twice per day... what the MD said.

But isn't oyster shell calcium supposed to be not only ineffective but dangerous? (Something about impurities in the shells). My CA is in large-pill gel form and this seems to be working as far as bone density tests are going.

[meem120]

"oyster shell" calcium is calcium carbonate. It is not effective for bone loss. You need to take calcium citrate with d, like citracal, for good bone health. Otherwise you are throwing your money down the drain.

[Sunshine Kate]

For those of you that can't swallow a large tablet, I've seen Citrical vitamins in chewable form. (I don't remember the brand name). (They are like gummy bears).

I know Costco sells them for sure.

[Mindy D]

Fosamax doesn't build bone by replacing lost minerals, all it does is harden the bone you have.

[Mindy D]

Sagging gal you are right about calcium. You are the only person, other than me, that does their own research, from original studies. I usually use PubMed. A hot tip for you. British research is usually given free. American research, you get the abstract but usually have to pay for the full study.

[Mindy D]

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that a higher calcium intake might favourably modify cardiovascular risk factors. However, findings of an ultimately decreased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are limited. Instead, recent evidence warns that taking calcium supplements might increase myocardial infarction (MI) risk. OBJECTIVE: To prospectively evaluate the associations of dietary calcium intake and calcium supplementation with MI and stroke risk and overall CVD mortality. METHODS: Data from 23?980 Heidelberg cohort participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study, aged 35-64 years and free of major CVD events at recruitment, were analysed. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to estimate HRs and 95% CIs. RESULTS: After an average follow-up time of 11 years, 354 MI and 260 stroke cases and 267 CVD deaths were documented. Compared with the lowest quartile, the third quartile of total dietary and dairy calcium intake had a significantly reduced MI risk, with a HR of 0.69 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.94) and 0.68 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.93), respectively. Associations for stroke risk and CVD mortality were overall null. In comparison with non-users of any supplements, users of calcium supplements had a statistically significantly increased MI risk (HR=1.86; 95% CI 1.17 to 2.96), which was more pronounced for calcium supplement only users (HR=2.39; 95% CI 1.12 to 5.12). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing calcium intake from diet might not confer significant cardiovascular benefits, while calcium supplements, which might raise MI risk, should be taken with caution.

[Mindy D]

Table 2. Number of Individuals (%) With at Least One Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease Event at 5 or 9.5 Years in 730 Participants in Each Treatment Group Atherosclerotic vascular disease events 5 Years 9.5 Years Calcium Placebo Calcium Placebo a Excluding hemorrhage. b Significantly different by chi-squared test p?=?.039, OR?=?0.503, 95% CI 0.261–0.968, p?=?.040. Total event categories are less than the sum of the individual groups because some individuals sustained more than one disorder. Total vascular hospitalization and deaths 104 (14.2%) 103 (14.1%) 195 (26.7%) 200 (27.4%) Total vascular deaths 18 (2.5%) 24 (3.3%) 59 (8.1%) 72 (9.9%) Ischemic heart disease 13 (1.8%) 9 (1.2%) 34 (4.7%) 36 (4.9%) Arrhythmia 1 (0.1%) 3 (0.4%) 10 (1.4%) 16 (2.2%) Heart failure 6 (0.8%) 9 (1.2%) 14 (1.9%)b 27 (3.7%)b Cerebrovascular diseasea 6 (0.8%) 8 (1.1%) 20 (2.7%) 22 (3.0%) Peripheral arterial diseasea 1 (0.1%) 1 (0.1%) 1 (0.1%) 4 (0.5%) Total vascular hospitalization 91 (12.5%) 91 (12.5%) 160 (21.9%) 169 (23.2%) Ischemic heart disease 50 (6.8%) 54 (7.4%) 85 (11.6%) 85 (11.6%) Arrhythmia 21 (2.9%) 16 (2.2%) 39 (5.3%) 40 (5.5%) Heart failure 7 (1.0%) 9 (1.2%) 22 (3.0%) 28 (3.8%) Cerebrovascular diseasea 30 (4.1%) 25 (3.4%) 45 (6.2%) 57 (7.8%) Peripheral arterial diseasea 10 (1.4%) 12 (1.6%) 19 (2.6%) 18 (2.5%) In this recent Australian study calcium supplementation was beneficial across all vascular and cardiac disease, showing less deaths than in placebo over the nine year period the patients were followed.

[Mindy D]

There are so many studies on this. I'm sure there are reviews of the literature, but I haven't looked. Right now the evidence is conflicting.

[winamac1]

On 5/19/2015 lovestoteach said:

My Calcium + Vit D pills are 800mg Ca twice per day... what the MD said.

But isn't oyster shell calcium supposed to be not only ineffective but dangerous? (Something about impurities in the shells). My CA is in large-pill gel form and this seems to be working as far as bone density tests are going.

Hi teach. Your body can only absorb up to 600 mg. of calcium at a time! I'd cut those 800 mg. pills in half!

[Mindy D]

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found, in a study of more than 74,000 women, that these supplements are safe in terms of heart health. This new study found no raised risk of heart attack or stroke among women taking calcium supplements during 24 years of follow-up. Calcium supplementation was actually associated with lower risk of heart disease, the researchers said.