But what about vitamin supplements? C
alcium supplements have “little place” in modern medical practice, say the authors of a research review published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Professor Ian Reid and Associate Professor Mark Bolland, of the University of Auckland, reviewed the evidence of both efficacy and safety of calcium supplements, and vitamin D supplements. “The use of calcium supplements in individuals without specific bone pathology does not have a sound evidence base, and the safety concerns suggest that the net effect could be negative,” they wrote. Calcium supplements are frequently associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly constipation, and they have also been reported to double the risk of hospital admissions related to abdominal symptoms. “In the Women’s Health Initiative study, calcium and vitamin D increased the risk of renal calculi (kidney stones) by 17 per cent. There is evidence that calcium supplements increase the risk of myocardial infarction and, possibly, stroke, although this remains subject to controversy,” they wrote. Vitamin D supplements rarely cause symptomatic adverse effects, but there is evidence that vitamin D doses of 4000 IU/ day, 60 000 IU/month, or 300 000–500 000 IU/year may increase the risk of falls and/or fractures. At lower levels -- doses of 400–1000 IU/day – bone benefits from vitamin D are met, therefore, the use of higher doses is not appropriate. There are conditions for which calcium and vitamin D supplements are appropriate. “There are some medical conditions, such as osteomalacia, for which calcium and vitamin D supplements are central to management,” the authors stated. “Their use as adjunctive therapy in osteoporosis has been the convention, but … there is little evidence that this alters outcomes. “In summary, small doses of vitamin D have a place in the prevention of osteomalacia in individuals with specific risk factors. Calcium supplements have very little place in contemporary medical practice.”
48 wholefoodliving.life | Winter, 2020
You do not need to drink milk to get enough calcium. You will not make your bones stronger by drinking milk.
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f you don’t believe these statements, don’t worry, you are not alone. Seventy years of marketing has convinced most health professionals that dairy foods, or a high-calcium substitute, are essential for human health. This is a rather narrow nutritional view when one considers that cow’s milk is only consumed by a minority of the world’s population, and for a relatively short period of human history. Most of the world’s population, including the majority of those of Asian or African descent, are lactose intolerant and suffer abdominal pain and diarrhoea if they drink milk.
An essential nutrient While it is true that dairy foods are rich in calcium and that calcium is an essential nutrient for bone health, increased dairy consumption is not associated with stronger bones. In fact, a large Swedish study (Michaelsson et al 2014) found that higher milk consumption was associated with a higher rate of hip fractures (as well as a higher mortality rate). The higher prevalence of osteoporosis in countries
that consume more dairy foods suggests that dairy products are not an effective preventative strategy. Like other minerals, calcium comes from the ground. Plants absorb it and animals in turn eat plants. Cows get their calcium from the grass. We can obtain all our calcium needs from whole plant foods, many of which have moderately high calcium levels. Some vegetables have a higher “nutrient density” for calcium than dairy foods (see Nutrient Density page). Interestingly, calcium is better absorbed from vegetables than milk, over 50% vs 32%. Many whole plant foods are rich in calcium – a cup of chopped kale, for example, provides as much absorbable calcium as a cup of milk. Dairy (and ‘dairy alternatives’) has its own food group in the Australian Dietary Guidelines but this is no longer the case for the Canadian dietary guidelines. A liberal interpretation of ‘dairy alternatives’ might include beans, greens and other high calcium whole plant foods. A plantbased ‘milk’ with a similar calcium content to cow’s milk is not necessary. Indeed, it has been argued that a more appropriate
