Calcium

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Thu May 31, 2012 6:55 am

Thanks, MB. I just read this at this link: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2 ... -risk.html

My diet is so limited, this all is just driving me crazier.

coryhub · Post by **coryhub** » Thu May 31, 2012 7:49 am

I read that, "Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D is ideal for seniors and people with low stomach acid. Calcium citrate is easy to digest and it can be taken on an empty stomach."

Post by **tex** » Thu May 31, 2012 8:24 am

Mary Beth,

I'm glad you posted that. I hesitated to emphasize that point because I didn't want to scare anyone unnecessarily, but yes, hypercalcemia increases the risk of a coronary event. Blood levels of electrolytes are very important for health, and calcium provides a switching signal on a cellular level, so it plays a vital role in many/most body chemical processes. Calcium levels influence the regulation of the transfer of other substances across cell boundaries, which makes calcium especially important in so many processes. It's a vital element for health, but IMO any relatively large supplementation amounts should be carefully monitored because of the risks involved.

Tex

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Thu May 31, 2012 1:28 pm

The article I read says it's because people take large doses at one time. You should take smaller doses throughout the day to mimic food. They also say people should take a MAX of 500 mg per day.

From Heartwire
Dietary Calcium Better Than Supplements for CVD Safety, Latest Research Suggests
Lisa Nainggolan

May 30, 2012 (Heidelberg, Germany)— Authors of another study suggesting that calcium supplements might increase the risk of MI say people who do need more calcium should first and foremost try to up dietary intake of this mineral [1]. Reporting their findings in the June 2012 issue of Heart, Dr Kuanrong Li (German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany) and colleagues conclude that calcium supplements "should be taken with caution."

I wouldn't say calcium supplements are harmful, but I wouldn't say they are harmless.
Senior author, nutritionist Dr Sabine Rohrmann (University of Zurich, Switzerland), told heartwire : "I wouldn't say calcium supplements are harmful, but I wouldn't say they are harmless." And while she does not believe there should yet be a warning not to use such supplements, "because more work is needed," doctors should initially try to encourage anyone they feel is deficient in calcium to get what they need from their diet, she urges.

"My advice is that doctors should look carefully at the diet of their patients and try to make adjustments (recommend appropriate foods). If calcium intake is not high enough they should recommend a supplement that has a dose of a maximum of 500 mg. Even better would be a lower dose recommended to be taken twice a day."

Large Boluses of Calcium Might Provide a "Spike," Driving Atherogenesis

Both Li et al and the authors of an accompanying editorial [2]--Drs Ian R Reid and Mark J Bolland (University of Auckland, New Zealand), who have both previously published research on this topic--say they believe the "spike" in calcium concentrations that occurs in the blood following supplementation with large boluses of calcium might be the culprit in the increased MI risk, possibly driving or accelerating atherogenesis.

We should return to seeing calcium as an important component of a balanced diet and not as a low-cost panacea to the universal problem of postmenopausal bone loss.
In contrast, dietary calcium is taken in small amounts spread throughout the day, usually together with fat and protein, so as a result it is absorbed slowly, causing little change in serum calcium levels, they point out.

"Calcium supplements have been widely embraced by doctors and the public, on the grounds that they are a natural and, therefore, safe way of preventing osteoporotic fractures," say Reid and Bolland.

"It is now becoming apparent that taking this micronutrient in one or two daily boluses is not natural, in that it does not reproduce the same metabolic effects as calcium in food. We should return to seeing calcium as an important component of a balanced diet and not as a low-cost panacea to the universal problem of postmenopausal bone loss," they add.

More of the article available here (might be for free subscribers only):

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/764 ... &src=nldne

Post by **tex** » Thu May 31, 2012 2:12 pm

Tex

jmayk8 · Post by **jmayk8** » Thu May 31, 2012 5:04 pm

wow, im glad i brought this up!

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Thu May 31, 2012 7:10 pm

Joan wrote:My diet is so limited, this all is just driving me crazier.

Gloria

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 3:21 pm

Interesting point regarding possible cardiac affects, have any of the studies looked at supplementationwith artificial sources vs natural sources. Is this a source issue or rate of consumption issue?

When we consume calcium naturally we get a slower steadier release throughout the day as opposed to a quick concentrated dose.

Post by **tex** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 4:20 pm

Ingesting vitamins and minerals is always safer when the source is whole foods, (or sunlight, in the case of vitamin D), rather than by artificial supplementation, because the body has evolved to handle nutrients derived from food (and sunlight), and it has not evolved to deal with overdoses by means of artificial supplementation. In many cases, excess amounts are simply passed on in feces and urine, but this isn't true in every case.

Calcium is a special case, because blood levels of calcium are critical for the management of cell wall integrity, and therefore many vital mitochondrial functions can be affected. As you mention, though, if supplements are used, spreading the dosage out over the day will certainly help to prevent undesirable excursions in blood levels. IMO, it's more of a rate issue (at least if substantial amounts of supplementation are involved).

Tex

desertrat · Post by **desertrat** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:23 pm

Wait a minute. I'm confused. Doesn't a CMP panel show the calcium levels? So wouldn't you know if your levels were too high by the blood test? And I thought one was suppose to take calcium with magnesium. And the suggested time is before bed, as the cal/mag helps you to go to sleep. So I take my cal/mag at night...all at once. Should I be dosing it at intervals throughout the day instead?

Mandy

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:37 pm

as i have the Hiatus hernia and gerd issues, i am taking calcium carbonate, i got a pure powder from a compounding pharmacist.

i mix this with coconut milk (and pure magnesium powder again from compounding pharmacist) and have it small amounts 6 - 8 times a day.

important to look at how much elemental calcium your supplement is giving you, and in line with if you were obtaining it from food, small amounts through the day would replicate that type of consumption.

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 8:37 pm

Tex the issue that calcium in larger doses can 'enable' inflammation ( if I read that right) could that be the issue in relation to cardiac issues? My thought is that the more they look into cardiac and vascular issues the more the issue appears to be inflammation in those tissues.

Post by **tex** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:20 pm

Joe,

I'm not sure how it all ties together, but as you mentioned, I believe there is almost surely a connection.

Tex

MBombardier · Post by **MBombardier** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:34 pm

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/calcium/

This will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about calcium. The page has not been updated since 2010, so it doesn't talk about the cardiac risk.

The Linus Pauling Institute's mission is to:

Determine the role of micronutrients (vitamins and essential minerals), phytochemicals (chemicals from plants), and dietary supplements in extending healthy lifespan (healthspan) and preventing or treating age-associated diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases
Examine the role of oxidative stress and inflammation in human health and disease, and the protective effects of dietary antioxidant and anti-inflammatory factors
Help people everywhere achieve a healthy and productive life, full of vitality, with minimal suffering, and free of cancer and other debilitating diseases

If you go to this page:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/ you can find out about all sorts of micronutrients. It's overwhelming, but if you have concern about a certain substance, this is a good place to go for comprehensive and pretty much up-to-date information.

Lucy · Post by **Lucy** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:37 am

Vital Nutrients has a smaller no. of milligrams of Calcium citrate/maleate in their 150 mg capsules.

One thing about this smaller amount of calcium is that one can distribute these capsules throughout the day, rather than take
a large amount of calcium all at one time, and if one thinks they've had enough via a food source at a given dosing time, one could
simply eliminate that capsule at that time.

I have someone in my family who does this all the time as she has absorption issues and osteoporosis as well.

These are only sold to physicians, and are pharmaceutical grade, so you might want to contact Vital Nutrients to see which docs
carry them in your area if you are interested in not taking so much all at the same time. The smaller amounts in those caps would
also make it easier to adjust to newer recommendations as they come out, should one need to cut down the total amounts taken in
a day.

My family member had been unable to find any other brands that could be dosed that small.

Have no clue how much I or anyone else should take of calcium, the above being said.

Just thought I'd mention these smaller capsules since I'd never heard of these small ones before someone told me about them not long ago.

Good luck...Luce