Is too much calcium harmful?

Calcium supplements could be doing more harm than good according to new research.  Women with high calcium levels could be at greater risk of dying from heart disease that those with
normal levels.

Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden studied the calcium intake of 61,443 Swedish women aged over 50 for 19 years.  Intake ranged from 572mg per day, the equivalent of 5 slices of bread, to 2,137mg.

The results found that over the 19 years 17% died, 32% of which were caused by cardiovascular disease, 16% by heart disease and 8% by stroke.  The highest rates were among those who consumed more than 1400mg of calcium per day.  There was also a higher death rate among the women whose intake was lower than 600mg.

Researchers claim that taking calcium supplements effectively ‘floods’ the blood and can be harmful.

More research needs to be conducted into the area as the results conflict with others from previous studies so we cannot come to any concrete conclusions.