You make a point to swig milk at lunch, incorporate yogurt into that midday snack, and even pop a daily calcium supplement to keep your bones safe. Turns out, that conscientious routine might actually be putting your heart at risk, finds new research out of Sweden. For nearly 20 years, a team from Uppsala University tracked the daily calcium intake and health outcomes of more than 60,000 middle-aged and elderly women. Those who consumed more than 1,400 milligrams of calcium a day were 49% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 40% more likely to die from any cause during the study period, compared to those who consumed smaller quantities of calcium. The finding is particularly alarming when you consider that 1,400 mg of calcium barely exceeds current recommendations from the National Institutes of Health: The federal agency suggests that women over the age of 51 consume 1,200 mg of calcium each day (that’s around three glasses of fat-free milk). When our intake of calcium is high, the mineral floods the bloodstream, says study author Karl Michaëlsson, MD, a clinical professor of orthopedics at Uppsala University. Too much calcium in the blood appears to increase the presence of a specific type of protein called fibroblast growth factor 23, which earlier research has linked to heart disease, Dr. Michaëlsson adds. The key, Dr. Michaëlsson says, is to strike a delicate balance. After all, a healthy body needs calcium—and that’s particularly true for older women, who face an increased risk of bone loss and fractures because their bodies absorb calcium less efficiently. For that reason, nearly 60% of middle-aged and elderly American women take a calcium supplement. So is it time to trash the calcium tablets? Not necessarily. Women who are confused about their calcium intake should address the topic with a doctor, but Dr. Michaëlsson recommends that everyone aim to consume between 600 and 1,000 mg of calcium each day. That’s enough to protect your bones, without increasing other health risks. More from Prevention: The Drink That Protects Your Bones Questions? Comments? Contact Prevention’s News Team.
