Calcium Supplements

• By rmchavin
• Posted May 24, 2009 at 11:14 am
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Dear Loods:

There are many studies that link a moderately high intake of calcium (1,500mg/day) with a substantially higher risk of prostate cancer in men. However, a moderate intake of calcium (1,000mg/day) is generally slightly beneficial for blood pressure. Here's what the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University says about calcium: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/calcium/ They have a section on "Safety" and "Toxicity" of calcium that might answer some of your questions.

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• By rmchavin
• Posted May 24, 2009 at 10:26 pm
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Dear Loods:

Here is a PubMed study that says, "Accumulating evidence shows that consuming milk or dairy products may contribute to the risk of prostate and ovarian cancers, autoimmune diseases, and some childhood ailments." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19321571?ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem 2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDoc Sum However, I think what your Australian study was saying is that if a woman (or man) consumes a high dose (say, 5,000mg) of calcium daily, this would increase his or her blood calcium levels to higher than (say, about twice) what it normally would be for only moderate levels (say, 250mg to 750mg) of daily calcium consumption. This would cause a heart attack or stroke if the body did not very quickly get rid of this excess blood calcium, which it normally would be able to do. (Drinking a gallon of milk every day will not kill you, at least not for many, many years). There are many websites that talk about this. One such website is set up by Thijs R. Klompmaker of the Netherlands, who is better known by his Japanese-sounding internet name, Wai Genriiu. http://www.newtreatments.org/osteoporosis http://www.4.waisays.com/ExcessiveCalcium.htm Caution: Although Mr. Klompmaker's theory that excessive calcium consumption causes long-term damage to osteoblasts could still one day turn out to be correct, his belief that vitamin D supplementation is not necessary has been contradicted by numerous recent scientific studies that advocate the advantages of supplementing with large doses (say, 1,000 IU to 2,000 IU) of vitamin D daily.

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• By Loods
• Posted May 25, 2009 at 10:07 am
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Dear rmchavin,

Thank you for your replies. There are so many different stories/articles all the time concerning medications and supplements it is a minefield as to what or who you can believe.

Personally I do not like taking large quantities of anything regardless of whether it is a drug or a supplement, preferring to take everything in moderation. I think mostly it is finding the balance that is right for you and your lifestyle. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another, that is why I think it is important to remain open minded when people on the forum give advice.

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• By April995
• Posted May 25, 2009 at 7:54 pm
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Hi Rm,
I have heard before that Milk, dairy does not help Osteo much, and eating a healthy diet of fresh Veggies is far better.
Although some say Dairy is good for bones. Maybe that is from the Dairys!

From the sites you gave, I do not see where they got there Research from?
Also I never heard (but that is not saying much :)) of
Wai Genriiu ?

I think this needs some good Research.

Take care,
April

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• By rmchavin
• Posted May 25, 2009 at 9:17 pm
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Dear April995:

Keep in mind that although well-nourished vegetarians, almost-vegetarians, and fish-eating vegetarians have the best bone health and overall health, malnourished "vegetarians" (people who don't eat much vegetables or fruits but eat plenty of grains and not much of anything else) have even worse bone health than excessive meat eaters. So although well-nourished people should be advised to minimize their consumption of animal protein (both meat and dairy products) to protect their bone health, malnourished people should be told to do just the opposite. Tell malnourished people to make sure that they are getting enough calcium and protein. Swallow one calcium pill daily. Eat soybeans, soybean products, one cup of nonfat milk, one egg, a half pound of high-fat fish, or some other source of protein. You don't need to be living in the Third World to be malnourished. Many people in the wealthy nations are malnourished too if they have anorexia nervosa, are very thin, or don't eat enough fruits and vegetables and eat mostly empty calories from junk foods that lack nutrients. Here's a study of mostly malnourished people in India and Iran. Note that the malnourished "vegetarians"(OR=2.2) had even worse bone health than the excessive meat eaters(OR=1.4) and adding calcium supplementation(OR=0.6) and/or protein foods(OR=0.3 to 0.6) greatly helped bone health among these malnourished people: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18304358 Although perhaps only 10% to 20% of the people in wealthy nations are malnourished, the majority of this planet's population may be malnourished.

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• By RocknRoll
• Posted May 25, 2009 at 10:40 pm
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I agree with you Loods 100%!!!!

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