Breast Cancer, Heart Attack, Stroke – A Deadly Side Effect of Calcium Supplements?

Thirty years ago, I was taught that not all calcium was created equal – that has not changed.  There is solid research that proves that unprotected calcium molecules are crystallizing in the small intestine, causing an absorption/solubility problem and generating free radical activity.

Not good.

The information below will lead you to some of the latest about calcium supplementation.  Don’t know who is right – but this I know:  All your supplements need to be usable, in balance with other nutrients and as close to God’s design as possible.  Trust me, that narrows the choices.

Story at-a-glance – from www.mercola.com

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/30/calcium-supplement-on-heart-attack.aspx

• Taking elemental calcium supplements (with or without vitamin D) in amounts of 500 mg or more may actually increase your relative risk of heart attack by up to 27 percent, and may even increase your risk of stroke
• Taking the wrong type of calcium and in isolation, without complementary nutrients like magnesium, vitamin D and vitamin K, which help keep your body in balance, can have adverse effects, such as calcium building up in coronary arteries and causing heart attacks
• Osteoporosis, as defined by DXA bone screenings using the T-score, are highly misleading, because they compare your bone density to a 25-year old (and not your age group) as the standard of normality. Bone density and bone strength are two different things, and having highly dense bones may increase your risk of breast cancer as a woman by 300% or more.
• Evidence that supplementing with calcium safely prevents fractures is lacking, but plentiful research suggests calcium deposits are major contributors and even causative factors in many health conditions
• In order for calcium to do your body good, it must be in a biologically appropriate form and balanced out with vitamins D and K and other important trace minerals, as part of a total nutritional plan

Here is more with stroke studies – http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/15/is-your-calcium-supplement-a-heart-attack-or-stroke-waiting-to-happen.aspx