“It is worthwhile to take calcium supplements at an earlier age.”
It’s important to protect your bone strength and guard against fractures as you age, but taking a supplement isn’t the best way to do that, says Erin Michos, MD, MHS , associate director of preventive cardiology for the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease.
Recent studies have linked calcium supplements with an increased risk of colon polyps (small growths in the large intestine that can become cancerous) and kidney stones, which are hard masses usually formed in the kidneys from an accumulation of calcium and other substances. Additionally, a 2016 study by Michos and her colleagues suggested that calcium supplements may increase the risk of calcium buildup in the heart’s arteries.
“The body can’t process more than 500 milligrams of calcium at a time. If you take a supplement with more than that, your body has to do something with the excess. It’s possible that higher calcium levels in the blood could trigger blood clots or that calcium could be deposited along artery walls, which would contribute to the narrowing of blood vessels.”
wy69
I did benefit from water buffalo milk growing up in India. It is richer than cow’s milk in nutrients. But never been good about taking any calcium supplements in my life. I am sure my regular treadmill exercise is helping keep bones strong, now in my 80’s. Never had a bone fracture while downhill skiing where I took quite a few wipeouts. I have no balance issues in 80’s thanks to regular treadmill.