Calcium supplements increase risk of arterial plaques

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NHE
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Calcium supplements increase risk of arterial plaques

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Could Calcium Supplements Be Bad for You?

Research shows that people who take calcium supplements are more likely to have calcified coronary arteries; dietary calcium is protective.

Terry Graedon - October 14, 2024

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People who take calcium supplements are more likely to end up with calcium in their arteries. That is the conclusion from a study that took 10 years to complete (Journal of the American Heart Association, October 11, 2016).

The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis:

More than 5,000 people 45 and 84 years old participated in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) over the course of 10 years. They filled out questionnaires about their dietary habits and supplement use. Coronary artery scans were performed to detect calcification. About half of the participants had a second scan at the end of the study.

More Calcium from the Diet, Less from Calcium Supplements:

The researchers found that those who got the most calcium had the cleanest arteries–unless it was coming from calcium supplements. In that case, they had the most calcification.

Calcium and Atherosclerosis:

Atherosclerosis is the medical term for hardened arteries. But, you may wonder, doesn’t that have to do with plaque in the arteries? Well, yes it does. Even though doctors have focused most sharply on cholesterol in arterial plaque, these lesions actually contain more calcium than cholesterol. It is the calcium that makes plaque-laden arteries “hard.”

When coronary arteries become calcified, people are more likely to develop heart disease. This study confirms the results of other research implicating calcium supplements in the development of hardened arteries. You can read what we wrote about some previous studies here and here. You may also want to read what else we have written about these findings from the MESA study.

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Getting your calcium from food rather than supplements appears to be preferable. Good food sources include dairy products such as yogurt, cottage cheese, milk or mozzarella, canned salmon or sardines (with bones), tofu, soybeans or soy milk and dark green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale or bok choy.

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