CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS – DO THEY POSE ANY RISKS?

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING HEADLINES GRABS YOUR ATTENTION MORE?:  

CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS MAY POSE A SLIGHTLY HIGHER RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN SOME PEOPLE WITH RENAL FAILURE BUT RESEARCHERS STATE THEY ARE UNSURE WHAT TYPES OF CALCIUM AND WHICH DOSAGES MAY CAUSE PROBLEMS

OR: 

CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS MAY CAUSE EARLY DEATH  

Which headline you read will depend on the type of news service you rely on….if you read mainstream newspapers for example, they tend to have a ‘sensationalist’ theme so that they can grab your attention (even though the headlines are usually extemely misleading).  

So, back to the matter of calcium supplements. Previous research had indicated that calcium supplements ‘may’ have reduced cardiovascular mortality, although it’s not something I would have considered prescribing my clients for heart disease as I prefer to stick to well-researched facts rather than ‘maybes’.  

The findings on the latest ‘research’ on calcium supplements and mortality risk was that “ No statistically significant association was found between calcium supplementation and either stroke risk or overall CVD mortality”. However, apparently, people with renal (kidney) disease were at slightly higher risk (2.39%) for vascular calcification leading to a heart attack if they took calcium supplements, which is understandable as anyone with existing renal (kidney) disease (i.e. usually the elderly) would most likely be at higher risk of suffering a Myocardial Infarction (MI) [i.e.heart attack] anyway.  

However, the study was completely ‘observational’ (i.e. Not really scientific research as fas as I’m concerned) and only relied on the public answering questionnaires about their food intake and use of calcium supplements. It should also be noted that calcium supplement dosages, formulations, and salt forms were not reported for most study participants. Yet, there is a vast difference between the calcium compounds available but despite this, the types of calcium supplements that people in the study were taking, was not considered at all in this study.  

One would assume that most people were taking the cheapest form, calcium carbonate, which probably does have an increased risk of calcifying arteries compared to higher quality, more absorbable forms of calcium such as calcium citrate. A large amount of research has also shown that you shouldn’t take calcium supplements unless you are also taking magnesium (to prevent ratio imbalances within the body) but this important factor was also not taken into consideration in this study. The researchers themselves state “ The findings from this observational study should be interpreted with caution because they do not provide evidence for a causal link between calcium supplements and MI”. 

So, let’s look at the data again: There may be a 2.39% higher chance of heart attack in people with renal disease that take calcium supplements, based on an ‘observational study’ but the researchers themselves are unsure of the reliability of their analysis. Give me a break……is this really worth reporting?  

Yet this ‘research’ is receiving national media attention. Why are media so hungry for ‘bad news’ stories on the use of supplements? Because the majority of people in the Western world are far more educated and aware of the link between nutrient deficiencies and disease and therefore almost everyone these days takes nutrient supplements.  

Newspapers know it’s a safe bet that they will sell more papers that day (or entice you to read their online article so that you also read the ads from their paid advertisers) when they report on something that affects the majority of people. Stretching the truth with headines to make you read their article is all part of the game – never mind that they write in such a way that most lay people can’t decifer the real facts that were found in the research.  

When it comes to disease prevention, I always recommend that you consult a Naturopathic Physician so they can carry out tests to find out which nutrients your body really requires and they can prescribe you the safest, most effective forms of nutrients available. Make the most of your Naturopathic Physicians knowledge – they have studied for many years; they generally keep up to date on the latest scientific research and if they have been in practice for a long time, they would have many years of clinical experience that you can benefit from.  

In contrast, people who self-diagnose and self-medicate by deciding what to take without any real knowledge and without having any functional tests, and then they purchase inferior ‘off the shelf’ supplements in some vain attempt to try to prevent or treat disease, may be putting their health at risk.   

Reference: Li K; Kaaks R; Linseisen J; Rohrmann S. Associations of dietary calcium intake and calcium supplementation with myocardial infarction and stroke risk and overall cardiovascular mortality in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study (EPIC-Heidelberg). Heart. 2012; 98 (12); 920-5.