Calcium Linked to Heart Disease

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, calcium supplements might actually increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Following nearly 17,000 postmenopausal women in the Women’s Health Initiative, researchers from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, found that taking calcium supplements in conjunction with vitamin D supplements increased heart health risk by 13 to 22 percent. Analysis showed that the risk remained without vitamin D intake. This was not, however, due to increased calcium intake, but rather the sudden change of blood calcium levels after taking supplements, which leads to blood clots or calcification of arteries.