The risk of having too little calcium in your body is well known. Calcium is essential for strong bones so a lack of it can increase an individual's chances of getting osteoporosis. Older women who ate too little calcium when they were young are the primary victims of this condition, which often leads to fractured bones and humped backs.
The risk of having too much calcium is lesser known. They include an increased risk of kidney stones, constipation, an acid stomach, nausea and high blood pressure, reports "Nutripoints: A New Guide to Simple, Healthy Eating."
Importance
Calcium is "essential," reports the Merck Manual of Medical Information. It's found mostly in bones, but is also present in nerve cells, blood and teeth. It's needed for several bodily functions, including muscle contraction, nerve conduction and the proper functioning of many enzymes.
People should consume between 500 and 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Milk, cheese and other dairy products are the most common source of calcium in American diets, but many vegetables also have a large amount of calcium.
Paradox
Osteoporosis is uncommon in nations such as China, where people get the essential calcium they need from vegetables rather than high-fat, high-protein dairy foods, according to a study conducted by Dr. T. Colin Campbell that was reported in "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease."
Americans, in fact, eat more calcium than people of most other nations and have higher rates of osteoporosis. Ornish's book said this paradox is explained by a University of Texas Medical School at Dallas study that concluded "Urinary calcium excretion was 50 percent greater on the animal protein diet than on the vegetable protein diet."
Calcium Supplements
Companies seeking to take advantage of Americans' concerns about osteoporosis have fortified foods, such as orange juice, with extra calcium. There is also calcium in medicines such as antacid tablets, reports "Nutripoints."
Nevertheless, many women take calcium supplements. Because they already may be getting adequate amounts of calcium, the authors of "Nutripoints" say users of supplements "may be getting overdoses that could be potentially dangerous."
Hypercalcemia
Merck's reports that people who drink a lot of milk and/or take a lot of antacid tablets are at higher risks of hypercalcemia--high blood calcium levels.
There are often no symptoms of hypercalcemia. However, people with the earliest stages of the condition often report constipation, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. According to Merck's, "very severe hypercalcemia often causes symptoms of brain dysfunction such as confusion, emotional disturbances, delirium, hallucinations, weakness, and coma."
In addition, hypercalcemia can eventually lead to rheumatoid arthritis, reports "Nutripoints."
Recommended foods
Because high-calcium foods are often high-fat foods, nutritionists recommend that people concerned about too little calcium eat vegetables and low-fat foods. According to Ornish and "Nutripoints," vegetarians have very low rates of osteoporosis.
The recommended foods include egg substitutes, low-fat milk, nonfat yogurt and green leafy vegetables. "A half cup of cooked broccoli or four ounces of nonfat yogurt will give you over a third of your daily requirement," recommends "Nutripoints."
References
- "Nutripoints: A New Guide To Simple, Healthy Eating"; Dr. Roy E. Vartabedian and Kathy Matthews; 1991
- "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program For Reversing Heart Disease"; Dr. Dean Ornish; 1996
- "Essentials for Health and Wellness"; Gordon Edlin, Eric Golanty, Kelli McCormack Brown; 2000
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