Negative Side Effects of Too Much Calcium
The mineral, calcium, comes from many dietary sources. Dairy products, orange juice, spinach and broccoli are a few examples of foods rich in calcium.
Calcium also comes in the form of supplements and antacids.
Adding vitamin D to the diet increases the body’s ability to absorb calcium. The most common problem with calcium has to do with insufficient amounts. In rare cases, the body absorbs too much calcium and produces side effects.
Significance
Calcium maintains healthy teeth and bones.
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, studies suggest that calcium can also lower blood pressure, help with weight maintenance and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Postmenopausal women can benefit from calcium supplements. Women with premenstrual syndrome gain some symptomatic relief with added calcium, according to the website of the Wall Street Journal.
- Calcium maintains healthy teeth and bones.
- According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, studies suggest that calcium can also lower blood pressure, help with weight maintenance and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
Suggested amounts
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While a proper diet would supply all of the nutrients needed, the reality of regulated eating does not take into consideration the skipped meals or fast food meals that result from busy schedules. The Office of Dietary Supplements reports that the Food and Nutrition Board recommends 1,000 mg of calcium per day for males and females, ages 19 to 50 years of age and 1,200mg of calcium per day for males and females, age 50 and older. Children and teens have varying needs as their bones continue to grow.
Anyone taking calcium should also take 400 IU of vitamin D to aid in absorption of calcium. If taking a multi-vitamin daily, check the label.
Vitamin D may already be a part of the vitamin, making it unnecessary to add more. Too much vitamin D can harm the body.
- While a proper diet would supply all of the nutrients needed, the reality of regulated eating does not take into consideration the skipped meals or fast food meals that result from busy schedules.
Risks
The possibility of taking in too much calcium from food happens occasionally. More often, supplementation causes higher levels of calcium in the blood.
This can result in impairment of kidney function which then increases the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphate.
Kidney stones, consisting of calcium oxalate, might develop and cause pain.
The increased levels of calcium, however, most often come from a condition called hyperparathyroidism, a condition in which the parathyroid glands over-produce parathyroid hormone. Supplementation with mega doses of 50,000 IU of calcium daily, when given to patients with advanced cancer, might also cause hypercalcemia.
- The possibility of taking in too much calcium from food happens occasionally.
- This can result in impairment of kidney function which then increases the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphate.
Signs
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Too much calcium in the body would manifest in severe fatigue, depression, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Too much calcium might also cause an irregular heartbeat and dangerously low blood pressure. Pain in the area of the kidney would suggest the formation and passing of stones.
Hyperparathyroidism
The pea-shaped parathyroid glands, sit in front of the thyroid gland. They regulate the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body, says FamilyDoctor.org.
The release of parathyroid hormone by the glands tells the body when to stop absorbing calcium. A diseased parathyroid churns out too much parathyroid hormone, allowing excessive amounts of calcium to remain in the blood. The body reacts to what it perceives as a shortage by pulling calcium from the bones.
This condition, called hyperparathyroidism, depletes the body of calcium via the kidneys. The most frequent victims of this disease include postpartum and postmenopausal women and the elderly.
- The pea-shaped parathyroid glands, sit in front of the thyroid gland.
- The release of parathyroid hormone by the glands tells the body when to stop absorbing calcium.
Drug Interactions
Thiazide diuretics increase calcium levels when combined with calcium supplements. Other medications, such as mineral oil and laxatives, decrease absorption of calcium which results in too much calcium in the body.
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References
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium; 2009
- Wall Street Journal: Does Calcium Lessen the Symptoms of PMS?; 2008
- FamilyDoctor.org: Hyperparathyroidism; 2010
- Bolland, MJ, et. al. Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women's Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2011 Apr 19;342:d2040. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.d2040
- Reid IR. The roles of calcium and vitamin D in the prevention of osteoporosis. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 27: 389-398. DOI:10.1016/s0889-8529(05)70011-6
- Chen M, Pan A, Malik VS, Hu FB. Effects of dairy intake on body weight and fat: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012;96(4):735-747. DOI:10.3945/ajcn.112.037119
- Williams V, Rawat A, Vignesh P, Shandilya JK, Gupta A, Singh S. Fc-gamma receptor expression profile in a North-Indian cohort of pediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: An observational study. Int J Rheum Dis. 2019;22(3):449-457. doi: 10.6061/clinics/2012(07)22
- Reid IR, Birstow SM, Bolland MJ. Calcium and Cardiovascular Disease. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2017;32(3):339-349. doi: 10.3803/EnM.2017.32.3.339
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, "Milk-alkali syndrome"
- Bolland MJ, Grey A, Avenell A, Gamble GD, Reid IR. Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women’s Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis. BMJ. d2040-d2040. DOI:10.1136/bmj.d2040
- Chan Soo Shin, et. al. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 30(1): 27–34. DOI: 10.3803/EnM.2015.30.1.27
- Linus Pauling Institute. Calcium.
- National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Calcium.
- Weingarten MAMA, Zalmanovici Trestioreanu A, Yaphe J. Dietary calcium supplementation for preventing colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD003548. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003548.pub4
- Zemel, MB et. al. Calcium and dairy acceleration of weight and fat loss during energy restriction in obese adults. Obes Res. 2004 Apr;12(4):582-90. DOI: 10.1038/oby.2004.67
Writer Bio
Vita Ruvolo-Wilkes was first published in 1977. She worked as a certified aerobics and exercise instructor. Upon graduating from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, she worked for the VA Medical Center. As a physician assistant, Ruvolo-Wilkes designed specialized diets for her patients' conditions and has written a monthly health column in the "Montford Newsletter."