Calcium Supplements Could Damage Your Heart

Taking calcium in the form of supplements may raise the risk of plaque buildup in arteries and heart damage. According to findings of a study published in the ‘Journal of the American Heart Association’, a diet high in calcium-rich foods, however, appears to be protective. Cholesterol plaques can be the cause of heart disease.
Plaques begin in artery walls and grow over years. The growth of cholesterol plaques slowly blocks blood flow in the arteries. Worse, a cholesterol plaque can suddenly rupture. The sudden blood clot that forms over the rupture then causes a heart attack or stroke.
After analysing 10 years of medical tests on more than 2,700 people in a federally funded heart disease study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and elsewhere concluded that taking calcium in the form of supplements may raise the risk of plaque buildup in arteries and heart damage.
In a report on the research, published October 10, the researchers cautioned that their work only documented an association between calcium supplements and atherosclerosis, and does not prove cause and effect.
The ScienceDaily reported that the results add to growing scientific concerns about the potential harms of supplements, and they urge a consultation with a knowledgeable physician before using calcium supplements. An estimated 43 per cent of American adult men and women take a supplement that includes calcium, according to the National Institutes of Health.The same can also be said about Nigeria where more and more people are embracing the supplements culture, especially those in their mid 30s and 40s.

Categories: General