Calcium supplements can be dangerous

Calcium supplements - Photo by Tammy Kane

Calcium is very important, and the body loses much of it after 40.  It is an important mineral, but few people know that it can also be dangerous.  The body needs a balance of minerals to maintain homeostasis or properly balanced health.  If those minerals get too far out of balance it can even be fatal. 

Calcium and the heart

Calcium is one of the minerals that have a role in maintaining strong, muscular heartbeats.  It is one of the components responsible for the contraction of the heart muscle.  Without it the heart may not pump efficiently.  However if there is an excess in the body, it can cause the heart to squeeze too tightly, causing various heart and blood pressure problems.

Many women take calcium supplements for their bones later in life, but it could be linked to the increases in heart problems at the same time. Those who supplement their diets with calcium alone are more likely to have heart attacks. Magnesium is needed to relax the heart muscle.  So if calcium and magnesium become seriously imbalanced, it can result in irregular heartbeats, heart attacks and more serious heart problems over time.  It can even cause the heart to stop beating completely.   

Calcium and kidney or bladder stones

Many people assume that too much calcium causes kidney or bladder stones. While it is true that they are formed from deposits of free calcium in the body, calcium intake is not usually the cause.  Kidney stones can be formed by free calcium that is being leeched out of the bones. Excessive sodium intake also increases calcium in the system.  So while one assumes that they have too much calcium because they have kidney stones, they may still be experiencing bones being depleted of the calcium that they need.  This is due to the lack of other minerals that act as binding agents for calcium to deposit in the bone not to the consumption of calcium.  Vitamin D, Boron, dolomite and magnesium are some that play big roles in maintaining strong bones and protecting them from calcium loss.  If you are taking calcium supplements, make sure and drink lots of water and avoid sodas as much as possible because the resulting acids help form them.   

Calcium and muscle spasms or leg cramps

Just as in the heart, calcium plays a role in all muscles and can increase muscle tension and pains due to stress.  When under stress, the muscles naturally tighten and tense and calcium can deplete the magnesium needed to relax muscles and make them hurt worse.  If you are supplementing calcium, it is helpful to make sure that it is in a full mineral formula or is coupled with magnesium.  If you are under stress and having muscle cramps or pain, reducing your calcium intake could help.

If you have heart problems or blood pressure problems, discuss this issue with your doctor, not all will routinely consider that calcium could be the culprit.

This article is not intended to treat or diagnose a medical condition but is intended for use as information.  It is best to consult your physician on the proper level of calcium supplement for you.  

Related Info:

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20080115/calcium-heart-risk-for-older-women

http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/1435/71796/calcium-bones

http://www.symptoms-kidney-stones-treatments.com/calcium-kidney-stones.html

http://www.bodyandfitness.com/Information/Health/Research/magnesium1.htm