| Search Sensei Talks |
|
|
| Labels |
|
|
|
| Friday, July 30, 2010 |
| Calcium Supplements May Increase Risk of Heart Attack in Older Women |
According the National Institutes of Health “osteoporosis, a disorder characterized by porous and fragile bones, is a serious public health problem for more than 10 million U.S. adults, 80% of whom are women.” Postmenopausal women are at even higher risk for bone loss because of hormonal and physiological changes that occur with age. For this reason, millions of older women take calcium supplements in an effort to ward off osteoporosis.
Some researchers however are questioning the overall safety and benefit of calcium supplements in older women. A team of researchers did a meta-analysis of 11 different studies that tracked 12,000+ elderly people over four years and found a possible link between intake of calcium supplements (without co-administered vitamin D) and a 30% associated risk of heart attack. The researchers did not find an association between dietary intake of calcium and heart attack risk. The analysis was published in the British Medical Journal. Note: A meta-analysis is a systematic review of the results of a group of related studies and not an actual study. Therefore, no direct risk can be drawn from the results.
Researchers believe the results “suggest that a reassessment of the role of calcium supplements in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is warranted.” In plain English that means that more research needs to be done before any direct risk can be drawn and any recommendations made. I think it’s also important to note that all the studies looked at were without co-administration of vitamin D. This is significant because we know that vitamin D must be present for calcium to be absorbed and that vitamin D plays a huge role in overall health, including heart health.
In the meantime, what I believe we can take from this study is that it’s still best to get calcium from your diet whenever possible. It’s also a good time to remind you to be careful about what you read and hear on the news. Media has a tendency to sensationalize research like this without really explaining what that means for you, the consumer. Always talk to your doctor before making any changes to your prescribed medications or supplements.
Recommendations to Decrease Risk for Osteoporosis:
- Eat more calcium rich foods including: low-fat dairy products, calcium fortified orange juice, tofu, dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, sardines, salmon and calcium fortified breakfast cereals. The recommended intake for adult men and women is 1,000 mg a day if you’re under 50 and 1,200 mg a day if you’re over 50.
- Perform weight bearing exercises like walking, running, dancing or resistance training regularly.
- If you smoke, QUIT! Research has shown that smoking contributes to weak bones.
- Focus on vitamin D. More and more research is finding that many Americans are vitamin D deficient and like I said earlier, vitamin D must be present for calcium to be absorbed. 3 ways you can get vitamin D include:
- Eat foods rich in vitamin D like wild sockeye salmon, mackerel, tuna and vitamin D-fortified milk, orange juice and breakfast cereals.
- Talk to your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement. Be sure to have your 25-hydroxy vitamin D level checked first.
- Get some “sensible sun”. Sensible sun is 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times a week on your arms and legs without sunscreen.
- Lauren
References:
National Institutes of Health - Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium
If you like this article, you might also enjoy…
Sensei Talks: Gwyneth Paltrow & The Raw Food Diet
Sensei Talks: Tofu Anyone?
Labels: heart health, Lauren, Recent Research, Women's Health
|
posted by My Sensei @ Friday, July 30, 2010   |
|
-->
add to del.icio.us
|
|
| 2 Comments: |
-
Being almost 53, great inof for me! I can't do dairy & do take a calcuim/magnesium supplement BUT I also follow you other advice so I think I am OK... will keep up on this. THX!
-
Older women shouldn't take supplements like this one. Instead, they should just eat foods rich in calcium to strengthen their bones.
|
| |
| << Home |
| |
|
|
|
|
Being almost 53, great inof for me! I can't do dairy & do take a calcuim/magnesium supplement BUT I also follow you other advice so I think I am OK... will keep up on this. THX!