Thursday, June 4, 2015

Be Very Careful with Calcium Supplementation









 
A Cochrane review of calcium supplementation, which is a routine recommendation by most physicians, especially for women, shows that it may do more harm than good.  The number needed to treat to prevent one fracture was 302 and the number needed to treat to cause one major cardiovascular event was 178.  However, the obvious problem with treatment was not discussed.  Everywhere in the body, calcium interacts with magnesium.  If you take calcium supplements, you should always balance them with at least half as much magnesium.  It is dangerous not to do so.

 

See the American Family Physician, May 1, 2015 issue, p. 634-635.

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