A good calcium intake just might extend your lifespan

Getting On in Years (and on, and on…)

For decades, we’ve been warned to make sure we get enough calcium to keep our bones healthy and strong. Turns out that’s only half the story…at best.

According to a new study from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet, men who have the highest intake of calcium might be expected to live longer than men with the lowest calcium intake. And a bonus: Their heart disease risk might be lower too.

These results were based on 10 years of data collected from more than 23,000 Swedish men over the age of 45.

In their conclusions, the authors write, “This population- based, prospective study of men with relatively high intakes of dietary calcium and magnesium showed that intake of calcium above that recommended daily may reduce all-cause mortality.”

At first you might not notice one of the most important words in that sentence: magnesium. It’s important because calcium doesn’t go anywhere without magnesium. Or it shouldn’t anyway. Which is a key point to remember when it comes time to boost your calcium intake with a supplement.

Calcium’s better half

Increasing calcium intake with dietary sources is a good idea.

Increasing calcium intake with dietary supplements is also a good idea–but you must tread carefully.

HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., is a vocal advocate of supplements. And because he knows his stuff, he has an important warning about calcium supplementation.

Rule One: Calcium must have magnesium.

Dr. Spreen: “Calcium without magnesium doesn’t occur in a natural human diet, so it shouldn’t be introduced to the body that way. Calcium alone has been found in several experiments to be improperly laid down in the body, even affecting arterial walls before setting up in bones.

“Unfortunately for those looking for the simplest solutions, the mineral calcium requires more than just magnesium: It also needs manganese, boron, silica, strontium, usually digestive enzymes, often additional betaine hydrochloride, and ALWAYS vitamin D (and high doses of that last one if a lot of calcium is swallowed).”

Rule Two: Forget about antacids

Dr. Spreen describes the form of calcium in antacids simply as a “problem,” noting that this inferior form actually lowers the acid level (pH) in the stomach, which is necessary for digestion of many nutrients and proteins.

Rule three: Know your calcium forms

Dr. Spreen: “Not all calcium salts are absorbed the same, and in some cases there are pretty big differences. However, it’s usually easier to acquire (and cheaper to take, per amount absorbed) in forms that may cost less than the most absorbable types. By just taking a bit more of it, it’s not that big a deal (as long as the other ‘stuff’ is taken with it).”

Dr. Spreen notes that among the commercially available types of calcium, the best marriage of price, percentage of elemental calcium, and absorption is calcium citrate.

If you’re concerned about bone health, or you want to stack the longevity cards in your favor, read Dr. Spreen’s detailed look at the pros and cons of different calcium forms in the e-Alert “Absorbing it All” (4/19/04).

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Sources:
“Dietary Calcium and Magnesium Intake and Mortality: A Prospective Study of Men” American Journal of Epidemiology, Published online ahead of print, 2/19/10, ajeoxfordjournals.org