Would taking calcium supplements be a good idea for you?

Your mother may have advised you to drink milk to build your areas of strength when you were a child. To protect your bone health as an adult, you're much more likely to take a calcium supplement than drink four glasses of milk a day. Getting enough calcium is a sensible move regardless of how it is achieved, as women are more likely than males to develop osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weak, fragile bones that increases the risk of fractures. Of the 10 million Americans who suffer from osteoporosis, 80% are female.

But before you crack open that calcium nibble seasoned with chocolate or take a calcium pill, you should be aware that taking supplements containing calcium might not be doing anything positive for your bones. Even worse? The improvements could result in serious medical issues.

Nothing Is the Best Supplement for Calcium

Age-related bone loss is a serious concern, but taking supplements isn't the best method to avoid it, according to Erin Michos, MD, MHS, partner head of preventive cardiology for the Ciccarone Community for the Counteraction of Coronary Disease. The body doesn't process a supplement taken as a pill the same way it does when it is consumed as food. Furthermore, people tend to accept the data that calcium supplements maintain bones as stronger than it actually is," the speaker adds. "The examination is actually uncertain. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that there is no medicinal benefit and, even more repugnant, that calcium supplements could be harmful."

There is essentially no benefit to using calcium supplements to prevent hip breaks, according to several studies. However, ongoing research has linked calcium supplements to a higher risk of kidney stones, which are hard masses that typically form in the kidneys from an accumulation of calcium and other substances, and colon polyps, which are small growths in the digestive system that have the potential to become cancerous. Furthermore, a recent study by Michos and associates suggested that calcium supplements may increase the likelihood of calcium formation in the cardiac channels.

"I'm exceptionally worried about the potential for calcium enhancements to add to respiratory failures and coronary illness," Michos adds. "The body cannot process more calcium than 500 milligrams at once. Your body must do something with the excess, supposing you take an enhancement with more than that. It's possible that elevated blood calcium levels could cause blood clots or that calcium could be retained along conduit walls, further constricting veins."

An Excellent Option for Calcium

While taking supplements containing calcium may have unfavorable side effects, getting the calcium you need through diet is safe. "At the point when you help calcium through your eating regimen, you're taking it in modest quantities spread over the course of the day alongside other food sources, which assists you with engrossing the supplement," Michos explains. "The vast majority can help sufficient calcium through their eating regimen assuming they really try."


The recommended daily intake of calcium for women is 1,000 mg for those between the ages of 19 and 50, and 1,200 mg for those over 50. Some excellent food sources of calcium are:

Oranges, almonds, and dried figs

Veggies
Pinto, white, and garbanzo beans
yogurt and milk that are low in fat
lush green veggies, such as spinach and kale