Should you take a calcium supplement or not? A research report published recently (2008) in the British Medical Journal suggested that if you are a woman well past menopause, and taking high quantities of calcium supplements, you may actually increase your risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.

The researchers proposed that it was the sudden increase in blood calcium levels from high doses of calcium that promoted atherosclerosis and increased risk of vascular events like heart attack or stroke. The participants in the study took a large dose of calcium (1g) in a highly absorbable form (calcium citrate is one of the easiest forms of calcium for your body to absorb).

The research has sparked some heated debate in the scientific community. This kind of debate is normal when contentious findings are published, but it may leave elderly women wondering whether they should continue to take their calcium supplement. And without a supplement, will their bones crumble?

Remember that bone structure is influenced by the amount of estrogen in your system, the amount of weight bearing exercise you undertake, your vitamin D status, your stress levels, and your calcium intake. Bone tissue is constantly being re-modelled in a healthy body; Special cells labour constantly to remove old bone tissue and replace it with new bone tissue. In osteoporosis the cells assigned to remove bone (osteoclasts) vastly outnumber the cells assigned to build bone (osteoblasts), resulting in a gradual decline in the total amount of bone tissue available to support your skeleton.

If you are presently taking a calcium supplement, and not sure if you should continue, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Have you actually been diagnosed with osteoporosis? A bone density scan (x-ray) to view the structure of your bones, or a urine test to measure the level of bone collagen being excreted is an essential first step before considering whether you really need a calcium supplement. Osteoporosis is certainly a pervasive disease in elderly women, but its also important to know whether you are really at risk, or not. If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, you should undergo regular testing to make sure your chosen therapy is working. Are you taking a calcium supplement just because it seems like a good idea after menopause? If you ingest too much calcium you can upset your magnesium status. Magnesium is an important mineral for relaxing muscles and reducing blood pressure. Taking mineral supplements can sometimes harm your health if they throw your absorption of other minerals out of balance.

If you are a woman past menopause and concerned about the possibility of developing osteoporosis, it is a good idea to discuss your calcium status and possible risks of osteoporosis with your health professional before you reach for that high dose of calcium supplement

By: Olwen Anderson

When one thinks about “calcium” what comes to mind is strong bones and healthy teeth. Certainly, calcium is important to these areas of health, but there are many other coral calcium health benefits to explore.

Published research has examined the role calcium plays in our diets in relation to conditions like colon cancer, osteoporosis, hypertension, and preeclampsia. It’s obvious that supplementing with coral calcium regularly improves health overall.

Teeth and bones are also strengthened by coral calcium. Deficiencies of calcium are associated with conditions like osteoporosis, and rickets. Bone tissue goes into action and releases stored up calcium to keep it balanced.

One of the most exciting coral calcium benefits is that regular intake of calcium in our daily diet have been observed to have anticancer effects. Calcium deficiency are always associated with cancer diseases. Calcium provide nutrients necessary for normal DNA function. Having enough supply of calcium in our body helps to protect us against mutation. Calcium helps to produce tissue alkalinity that inhibits the spread of cancer.

Coral calcium has a positive effect on cardiovascular health. Calcium ions are required to make the heart contract. In addition, calcium may help reduce blood lipids and lower blood pressure.

The positively charged calcium ion (2+) has the ability to bind to up to two other negatively charged ions at the same time. This makes calcium vital to the body’s ability to regulate pH, to maintain cell membrane voltage, and to potentiate the movement of ions through the cell’s ion channels. The ability to bind to other elements also allows calcium to work as a biological “cement” or tissue glue.

Calcium that is found in coral calcium is essential for the conduction of nerve impulses and cell division enzyme activity and also for immune function skeletal muscle contraction and hormone production. It is also a second messenger in cells, for instance, if the immune system cells receive a signal from the brain, calcium transmits that signal into action inside the cell.

A balanced supply of calcium is vital for the normal functioning of many of the body’s processes. Don’t deprive yourself of the coral calcium health benefits that will keep your body functioning properly.

By: Lee Dobbins