Should I take Calcium Supplements? What are the Risks?

Bone Health | Menopause | Gut Health | Hormone Balance | Stress | Nutrition

I still hear from menopausal women that their health care practitioners are recommending calcium supplements to improve bone health, in some cases even without bone density testing results.

This bothers me for a number of reasons.

How do we know if we need supplemental calcium if the testing hasn’t been done?

Also, is it that we’re not consuming enough calcium-rich foods or that we’re not absorbing calcium properly?

That’s an important distinction.

Do the benefits of supplemental calcium outweigh the risks?

And why does this matter?

First off, menopause lowers our estrogen production and this hormone helps increase calcium absorption and retain minerals in our bones. Less estrogen = less calcium absorption. That’s why it’s important for women in the menopause zone to consume a variety of calcium-rich FOODS and take other lifestyle steps to reduce the risk of bone disease. Our bodies are set up to ensure calcium is part of the equation to achieve homeostasis, and if that means leaching it from bones, teeth, hair, then so be it. We need to make sure we have enough available calcium to prevent that, because we want to age with strength and resilience, not frailty.

Multiple studies are showing that there is virtually no benefit to taking calcium supplements for the prevention of bone fractures.

On the flip side, they are linking calcium supplementation with an increased risk of colon polyps, kidney stones and increase risk of calcium buildup in the heart’s arteries potentially increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

So, what's the solution?

For most women, consuming calcium-rich foods and focusing on weight-bearing exercises along with some lifestyle and gut health work are great ways to keep bones strong.

There are a number of ways to promote bone strength and absorb calcium. Here are some of them:

#1 Weight bearing exercises – like walking – this is especially beneficial for women in peri/post/menopause – being sedentary for long periods of time on a daily basis (9+ hours) increases your risk of hip fractures up to 50%

#2 Weight training – again very beneficial for women to build lean muscle and become resilient – we are designed to lift, push, pull, squat, move, grip and should be doing those sorts of things regularly (work with a fitpro if you're new to this)

#3 Eat more veggies – especially yellow and green – to promote bone growth

#4 Consume calcium-rich foods throughout the day for maximum absorption (full-fat unsweetened yogurt, kefir, sardines, beans, figs, oranges, cheese)

#5 Eat foods rich in complementary vitamins (K2) to aid in absorption (sauerkraut, natto, cheese)

#6 Get your vitamin SUN – moderate, safe sun exposure for vitamin D absorption is necessary to help avoid risk of osteoporosis or osteopenia

#7 Maintain a healthy weight – over or under weight is not ideal – and yo-yo weight fluctuations could lead to bone density loss with weight loss that isn’t restored with the subsequent weight gain. Excess weight puts unnecessary stress and strain on bones and this often becomes a challenge during menopause

#8 Avoid a low-calorie diet and foods labelled as low-calorie – this is important for a number of reasons including bone density loss, muscle loss, fatigue, stubborn weight loss

#9 Eat more protein – protein is needed for bone health – one study involving 144,000 postmenopausal women found that those who ate an increased amount of protein saw a boost in bone density. Check with your health care provider to determine the right amount for you

#10 Eat foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids (nuts, seeds, cold-water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel) which are also good for the brain

#11 Eat foods rich in magnesium and zinc – these are important minerals that support bone health and bone density. Magnesium activates Vitamin D to promote calcium absorption. Zinc promotes bone growth (nuts, legumes, seeds, whole grains)

#12 Eat more fermented foods – we are learning that good bacteria aids in the absorption of calcium and lowers chronic inflammation

#13 Avoid smoking – not just because of lung cancer – smoking can increase risk of bone fractures, osteoporosis

#14 Avoid excess alcohol – heavy drinking can lead to poor calcium absorption, decrease in bone density and development of osteoporosis later in life.

#15 Address your stress triggers - chronic stress and excess cortisol wreak havoc on your gut health, your hormonal balance, your emotional health, and affects how well all of your body systems function

Talk with your doctor about the potential side effects to determine if taking calcium supplements is right for you. Remember that dosage is important as well. We can’t process more than 500 mg of calcium at any one time. Excess calcium ends up in the blood and the current wisdom is that they could trigger blood clots or that calcium could be deposited on the artery walls.

It is too simple to say that we 'just need more calcium'.

There are many factors that affect whether or not we are absorbing and retaining calcium in our bones. For example, stomach acid is important to bone health. Low stomach acid (whether from medications like antibiotics or poor gut bacteria ratio) is being linked to osteoporosis. Free radicals and inflammation are being linked to cartilage destruction.

Probiotics have been shown to improve bone density.

All of this points to the importance of gut health.

We need to advocate for ourselves because there is no one who will be as invested in your health as you.

Do your research. Ask questions.

At the end of the day, as a nutritionist, it does my heart good to see studies promoting whole foods combined with certain lifestyle habits as the best way to improve your bone health, especially as we transition through the Menopause Zone. In fact, many of these recommendations are helpful for overall menopausal health and wellness.

Which of these 15 tips are you currently doing or plan on implementing? Let me know if you need some guidance with that.