Calcium supplements: benefits and harms

Benefits of calcium supplements

• The deficiency is obvious. In infancy, calcium prevents the development of rickets, in adolescence it contributes to the formation of bones and teeth, in old age it prevents osteoporosis and the associated high risk of bone fractures. The daily calcium requirement for an adult is 1000 mg, but only one-third of the population in developed countries gets the recommended amount of this mineral from food. The situation is even worse for children and adolescents. It is estimated that by 2050, more than 1 million people a year in Europe will face the problem of brittle bones. Prevention of osteoporosis is the most common reason to take calcium and vitamin D supplements.
• Nerves and muscles. This mineral is responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses and provides a balance between the processes of excitation and inhibition in the brain. It helps produce the sleep hormone melatonin and regulates the contractions of the heart and skeletal muscles, so signs of calcium deficiency may include insomnia, muscle pain, cramps and paresthesias of the extremities, i.e. tingling, numbness and burning sensations in the feet, wrists and hands.
• At the cellular level. Calcium affects blood clotting, stabilizes mast cells, inhibiting the release of histamine and reducing the severity of allergic and inflammatory reactions. By blocking the absorption of saturated fats in the GI tract, calcium lowers blood cholesterol levels. In addition, this mineral plays a key role in the activity of the pituitary, adrenal, sex glands, pancreas and thyroid glands.

Harms of calcium supplements

• The danger of hypercalcemia. Excessive calcium supplementation is dangerous because excess calcium precipitates into a precipitate that deposits in blood vessels, liver and kidney tissue, making them brittle. In addition, hypercalcemia is manifested by general fatigue, drowsiness, muscle weakness, peptic ulcer of the stomach, biliary and urolithiasis. Part of the calcium, binding in the intestine with palmitic and stearic fatty acids, forms insoluble soaps that cause constipation.
• Risk of heart attack. For 11 years, 24,000 patients were under the supervision of researchers from the Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine at the University of Zurich (Switzerland). The scientists, who collected data on their diet and intake of vitamins and minerals, found that those people who took calcium supplements had 86% more frequent heart attacks.
• Risk-to-benefit ratio. Taking 1000 mg of calcium with vitamin D daily increases bone mineral density by only 1-2% and does not protect against fractures. Therefore, in updated guidelines released in April 2018, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that healthy postmenopausal women refrain from taking calcium and vitamin D supplements alone.
• Pregnancy and childbirth. Excessive consumption of calcium supplements is dangerous for pregnant women: the formation of the child’s skeleton may be disturbed, leading to ossification of the skull and fontanelle, causing complications during childbirth.

The golden mean

Calcium is excreted from the body with urine, so a person needs to replenish this mineral daily. However, instead of taking calcium supplements, scientists recommend compensating for its deficiency through food. It is necessary to include in your diet non-fat dairy products (some animal fats prevent calcium absorption in the intestine), canned fish (for example, sardines with bones), spinach, white cabbage, broccoli, legumes, oats, almonds, sesame seeds, as well as reduce the use of caffeine, proteins and salt.