Not only can taking calcium carbonate help lower your risk of osteoporosis and build stronger bones and teeth, it may also impact your heart health. The link between heart disease and calcium supplements remains controversial, with some studies showing that excess calcium harms the heart and others indicating no effect. Before taking any supplement, talk to your doctor about the potential impact on your heart and other organs.
Calcium Carbonate
Calcium carbonate is one of the two major forms of calcium supplement. The other is calcium citrate, which works about the same as calcium carbonate for most people but tends to be more expensive. You should take calcium carbonate with food since it absorbs better this way than when taken on an empty stomach. The actual calcium content of calcium carbonate is about 40 percent, but nutrition labels on the package list the specific amount of elemental calcium, so you don't need to calculate this when taking a calcium carbonate supplement.
Calcium and Heart Disease
The link between calcium and heart disease remains under investigation, but there appears to be a danger with both too little and too much calcium intake. Low levels of calcium can cause abnormal heart rhythms, but unusually high levels have been linked to an increase in cardiovascular disease risk in at least one study. A controversial 2010 review of 11 studies published in the "British Medical Journal" found that taking 1,000 mg or more of supplemental calcium each day raised the risk of myocardial infarction by 27 percent. However, the debate continues on the results of this meta-analysis, especially since another 2010 review of 17 separate studies in the "Annals of Internal Medicine" found no increase in cardiovascular disease.
Considerations
If you do take calcium supplements, you should avoid taking more than your daily recommended dose to avoid potential complications. Doses below 1,000 mg per day have not been associated with any increase in cardiovascular disease risk. Because the body has trouble absorbing more than about 500 mg of calcium at a time, split your doses throughout the day if you take more than this amount. Calcium carbonate tends to produce more side effects than other forms of calcium, but these tend to be mild. Side effects might include gas, bloating and constipation.
Alternatives
Getting calcium through food might be a better option than taking supplements to meet your calcium needs. Dairy products and fatty fish with bones, such as canned salmon or sardines, naturally have high levels of calcium that might enable you to cut back on calcium carbonate supplements. Other foods, including cereals, juices and tofu, are often fortified with calcium.
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