This isn’t an easy topic to write about nor is it an easy topic to find information about since it’s quite complex.
What Is Calcium And What Does It Do?
In addition to building bones and keeping them healthy, calcium enables our blood to clot, our muscles to contract, and our heart to beat. About 99% of the calcium in our bodies is in our bones and teeth. Every day, we lose calcium through our skin, nails, hair, sweat, urine and feces.
Our bodies cannot produce its own calcium. When we don’t get the calcium our body needs, it is taken from our bones. Too many Americans fall short of getting the amount of calcium they need every day and that can lead to bone loss, low bone density and even broken bones.
Warnings
Abstract
However, a large body of observational data has also linked low concentrations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), the primary storage form of vitamin D, to an increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality, garnering public excitement about the purported nonskeletal benefits of vitamin D. Despite this, more recent meta-analyses and randomized clinical trials have failed to find a beneficial effect of vitamin D supplements on CVD and cancer outcomes. Residual confounding or reverse causation may explain some of the discrepancy between the observational and trial results. At this time, vitamin D supplements should not be prescribed for the primary purpose of CVD prevention.
Adding to this complexity is the fact that many adults take vitamin D and calcium supplements together for bone health, and there is some concern (albeit inconclusive) related to calcium use and increased CVD risk. In this light, it may be best to achieve the recommended daily allowances of calcium intake through food and reserve calcium supplementation only for those at risk for calcium intake deficiency, with the smallest dosage needed after dietary modifications have been exhausted.
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Min D And Calcium Supplements: Take Them Or Leave Them?
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