July 11, 2022

Many of my patients suffer from osteopenia or osteoporosis, AKA damaged bones. Everyone knows that calcium is good for bones. What most people don’t know is that you can’t supplement with calcium by itself because the calcium carbonate found in supplements is roughly the equivalent of cement. 

Understanding this, it is astonishing how often calcium carbonate can be found in supplements for strengthening bones. 

In this article, we will take a look at calcium supplements and their potential risks. We will also discuss the best ways to strengthen bones.

Why Do We Need Calcium?

Our bodies must have calcium for strong bones and teeth. In fact, 99% of the calcium in the body is stored in our bones and teeth. But we also find it in the bloodstream, where it plays a critical role. It is used to send nerve signals, release hormones like insulin and regulate how muscles and blood vessels contract and dilate.

It is so critical when it comes to these functions that if you don’t get enough calcium in your diet, your body will take it from your skeleton and teeth. That’s not good!

So how much calcium do we need each day? Depends on who you are and how old you are.

  • Women 50 and younger: 1,000 mg per day

  • Men 70 and younger: 1,000 mg per day

  • Women over 50: 1,200 mg per day

  • Men over 70: 1,200 mg per day

There are also recommended upper limits for calcium intake. The cap is 2,500 mg per day for adults up to age 50 and 2,000 mg per day for adults over 50.

But here’s the thing, the best way to get calcium is from food. Supplements have a very sketchy history in terms of their safety which we’ll discuss in a moment. Foods that contain an abundance of calcium include dairy products, certain leafy greens, nuts, beans, and tofu. 

Vegans are at risk for calcium deficiency because they do not eat dairy. When I am working with a vegan patient we spend a fair amount of time making sure that s/he compensates for the lack of dairy with nuts, beans, tofu, and lots of leafy greens.

Although I do not recommend calcium supplements, there may be certain situations in which a calcium supplement has to be considered.

  • A health condition that limits your body’s ability to absorb calcium, such as Crohn’s disease or inflammatory bowel disease.

  • If you are being treated with corticosteroids over a long period of time.

  • If you have osteoporosis.

  • If you are at risk for colon cancer

Many of my patients come in with osteopenia and we are able to reverse it so that it does not progress to osteoporosis. But if it has already progressed to osteoporosis, or if it does during the course of our work together, then calcium supplementation may be a necessity.

Possible Dangers of Calcium Supplementation

Recent research suggests that calcium supplements may cause some health problems. 

  • They may increase the risk of heart disease.

  • High levels may be linked to prostate cancer.

  • Risk of kidney stones may increase.

More conclusive research is needed. Some experts have suggested that taking calcium with vitamin D may neutralize the risk.

In one study researchers found that while calcium supplement users experienced an overall increase in hip bone density, they didn’t have a lower risk of hip fractures.

Finally, one does not want to consume too much calcium even from food sources as Consuming more than 2,000 mg of calcium a day from your diet is also linked to an increased risk of kidney stones, according to the Institute of Medicine.

High Levels of Calcium in Your Blood

Having too much calcium in your blood leads to a condition called hypercalcemia, which is characterized by many negative symptoms, including stomach pain, nausea, irritability, and depression. It can be caused by several things, including dehydration, thyroid conditions, and taking high levels of calcium supplements. Excessive vitamin D supplements may also lead to hypercalcemia by encouraging your body to absorb more calcium from your diet.

In a nutshell, calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart disease, kidney stones, and prostate cancer. Extremely high levels of calcium from any source may have other negative health effects.

The issue for most of my patients is protecting their bones and making them stronger. Fortunately this is easy to achieve without taking any risks. The solution is 100% grass fed collagen combined with vitamin C from Camu Camu or Kakadu plum (US vitamin C is made from genetically engineered corn so stay away from that) getting sunlight on your skin which gives you vitamin D3 (or the sulfated version of vitamin D which is the best one) and exercises that build muscle to strengthen bones. 

Food Sources of Calcium

If you think you’re not getting enough calcium in your diet, consider eating more of these foods:

  • Dairy, including milk, cheese, and yogurt, preferably raw and 100% grass-fed. 

  • Certain leafy greens including collard greens, spinach, and kale

  • Edamame 

  • Beans and lentils

  • Fortified foods and drinks

BOTTOM LINE:

You can get all the calcium you need each day from food. Calcium-rich foods include yogurt, certain leafy greens, tofu, and canned fish to name a few. 

P.S. I got excited about doing this article when I discovered that calcium was added to my organic oat milk. I now make my own oat milk following this very simple recipe.