Calcium Supplements: Should You Take Them? – Healthline

Recent research suggests that calcium supplements may, in fact , cause some health problems. However , the evidence is mixed.

They May Increase Risk of Heart Disease

Perhaps the particular most controversial suggestion about calcium supplements is that they may increase the risk of some types of heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.

Over the particular past several years, researchers have published opposing findings on this link ( 1 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ).

More conclusive research will be needed to determine the effect associated with supplements on heart health.

Some experts have suggested that taking calcium with vitamin D might neutralize the possible risks, but this needs to be studied more ( 14 , 15 ).

High Levels May Be Linked to Prostate Cancer

High levels of calcium may be linked to prostate cancer, although the research on this particular link is also conflicting.

In several studies, most of which were observational, researchers found that will high intakes of calcium may be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer ( 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ).

Nevertheless , a randomized controlled study that gave 672 men either a calcium supplement or placebo every day for four years showed that will participants did not have an increased danger of prostate cancer.

In fact, participants who took the supplement had fewer cases of prostate cancer ( 21 ).

Other research has recommended that dairy products may be the culprit. A review of 32 articles reported that consuming dairy products — but not calcium supplements — was linked in order to a greater risk of prostate cancer ( 26 ).

Risk associated with Kidney Stones May Increase

There is a few evidence that calcium supplements increase the danger of kidney stones.

One study gave more than 36, 000 postmenopausal women either a daily supplement containing 1, 500 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D or a placebo pill.

The results showed that will those who took the particular supplement had an increased risk of kidney stones ( 27 ).

Furthermore, while product users in the study experienced an overall increase in hip bone density, they didn’t have a lower risk associated with hip fractures.

Consuming more than 2, 000 mg of calcium mineral a day from your diet or supplements is also linked to an elevated risk of kidney stones, according to the Institute of Medicine ( two ).

Other sources say that the danger of calcium oxalate stone(s) increases when calcium intake exceeds 1, 200–1, 500 mg per day ( 28 ).

Higher Levels associated with 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 plus depression.

It can be caused by several things, including dehydration, thyroid conditions and taking high amounts of calcium supplement supplements.

Excessive vitamin D supplements may also lead to hypercalcemia simply by encouraging your body to absorb more calcium supplements from the diet plan.

Bottom Line: Calcium supplements may boost the risk of heart disease and prostate cancer, even though the link is unclear. Extremely large levels associated with calcium from any source may have negative health effects.