Calcium, what is it? Why is it needed by the body? Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and has a lot of important functions. 99% of calcium is to be found in the bones and teeth while the remaining 1% is found throughout the body in our muscles, blood and the fluid between the cells.
Calcium has many functions in our body. Calcium is important because it supports the structure of the bones and teeth, it is used for muscle contraction, it is used for sending messages through the nervous system and the secretion of hormones and enzymes. A constant level of calcium is also used to maintain a level in body fluid and tissues in order for vital body processes to function efficiently.
As we know see, calcium is very important in our bodies that there is a need to maintain our intake of calcium and we are usually advice to take in calcium supplements. But the question is, do these calcium supplements have side effects?
According to British Medical Journal which published a study by the University of Auckland New Zealand the answer may be a yes. The study which focused on assessing the effects of calcium supplements on healthy postmenopausal women's risk on cardiovascular events, took a randomized placebo controlled trial that involved 1,471 postmenopausal women that had an average age of 74 years old. The trial was conducted over a period of five years.
732 women took calcium citrate in a 400 mg dose before breakfast and a 600 mg dose in the evening. Then 739 women took placebo. They were evaluated every 6 months. And you know what happened? You know what they found out? 21 women in the calcium group and 10 women in the placebo group experienced a heart attack .The calcium group had a 47% higher incidence of heart attack, stroke or sudden death.
The researchers concluded that calcium supplementation in healthy postmenopausal women increases cardiovascular event rates. The researchers concluded that before calcium supplementation should be broadly advocated, these new findings should be first considered carefully.
Add to that, the AJCN also published a study that was conducted by University Hospital Z�rich that according to them found no protective association between hip fractures and a 555mg per day intake of calcium. Their study involved a randomized controlled study of over 5600 women 58 years older and they found out that calcium supplementation may increase the risk for hip fracture by 64%.
Their research recommended that our calcium intake may be too high, our vitamin D intake too low. Because of these high intake, we may be experiencing a calcium overdose.
Looks like we really need to have a second look on our calcium intake. Have a nice day everyone!
Autor: Paul S Fitzgerald Paul S Fitzgerald
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Added: May 28, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
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