I believe I alluded to this study once previously in one of my blog posts, however since I just completed a short post on the importance of vitamin K, it might be good to re-visit the flawed calcium supplementation information from Steven Joyal MD in the November 2010 issue of Life Extension Magazine. I would encourage you to go on line or to your local library (IF anyone still goes to the library these days) and read the article in its entirety. This is especially true if you are a woman and have stopped or drastically reduced your calcium intake based on the July 30, 2010 analysis by the British Journal of medicine.
Back on July 30, 2010 a meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Medicine reported that calcium supplementation was associated with a significant increase in risk for heart attack. A careful examination of the study reveals several major flaws that severely compromise the author's conclusions. To make matters worse, (4) of the contributing authors of this meta-analysis were involved in pharmaceutical development trials involving calcium supplementation, including Wyeth, Mission Pharmacal, Shire Pharmaceuticals and Nycomed.
The four major flaws outlined are these:
1. Alarming levels of vitamin D deficiency and exclusion of trial data involving vitamin D3 supplementation in combination with calcium supplementation. The study showed that vitamin D3 supplementation reduces mortality, YET excluded trials that used vitamin D3 in combination with calcium supplementation (vs.) a placebo comparator. In FACT vitamin D deficiency has been shown to increase cardiovascular risk.
2. Exclusion of several major trials that showed significant reductions in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality with calcium intake. The Boston Nurses Study found that there was a 31% reduction in stoke for those with the highest calcium intake. The Iowa Women's health Study found a 1/3 reduction in deaths from cardiovascular events in women whose calcium intake from supplements and diet was in the highest fourth compared with those in the lowest fourth. The United Kingdom study of ischemic heart disease and calcium intake reported higher calcium intake reduced mortality for ischemic heart disease.
3. Lack of consistency with other studies showing reduction in bio markers of cardiovascular risk with calcium supplementation. Calcium supplementation as well as dietary calcium reduced blood pressure which is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. It also increases the ratio of HDL (Good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol) by almost 20% in health postmenopausal women. Calcium further reduces body weight.
4. Lack of appreciation for the critical role of vitamin K in bone and cardiovascular health. Normal aging involves calcification in soft tissues throughout the body such as heart and blood vessels. In essence calcium deficient diets increase the rate of calcification by 170% while calcium supplemented diets on the other hand reduce calcification by 62%.
(Optimal Vitamin K intake directs calcium away from the arterial walls) / READ my last post for food sources of vitamin K.
My Input:
You should be taking adequate amounts of vitamin D3 and magnesium and vitamin K along with your calcium supplementation. Our bodies work as a whole and we cannot isolate certain foods and supplements at the expense of others.
New international Version I Corinthians 12:20-23
20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,
Dan
Following is another link for more detailed information on calcium supplementation and its role in the human body:
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/
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