Monday, January 08, 2007

Calcium and Vitamin D do not mix

The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) on Friday Jan. 5th announced its proposal to allow new health claims on foods and dietary supplements containing calcium and vitamin D to indicate that these nutrients have the potential to help reduce risk of osteoporosis.

The proposed rule allows food and beverage manufacturers to include new information on the label and in the meantime eliminate some other information which is no longer justified.
The claim on calcium for its preventative role in osteoporosis was authorized in 1993, according to the FDA. The new rule amends the existing health claim by allowing claims on both calcium and vitamin D for their potential preventative effect against osteoporosis.

This is a disastrous development. Getting enough vitamin D and calcium is vital to good health, but taking supplements that combine vitamin D and calcium has been shown to weaken bones and increase the risk of osteoporosis.

The FDA proposal is a response to a health claim petition submitted by the Beverage Institute for Health and Wellness, the Coca-Cola Company. The FDA bases its decision on its review of the publicly available scientific evidence including the 2004 Surgeon General's report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis and the 2000 NIH Consensus Statement on Osteoporosis, Prevention, Diagnosis and Therapy.

While calcium and vitamin D play an important role in maintaining bone health in adults, a few issues need to be addressed, said a scientist affiliated with foodconsumer.org. For instance, supplementation of calcium and vitamin D may not be as important in children as in adults. Healthy children who eat a healthy diet and follow a healthy lifestyle rarely need supplements of vitamin D and calcium although supplementation and fortification of calcium and vitamin D may help certain children, according to a review article.

Calcium and vitamin D supplements do not benefit all adults whether taken separately or formulated together. A study published in 2005 in the Lancet finds that supplementation of vitamin D, calcium, or both, does not lower the risk of secondary bone fracture from osteoporosis in the elderly who have had one incident of bone fracture.

Elderly people who are frail and at risk for bone fractures may be helped somewhat by giving them both vitamin D and calcium. But the benefits may be marginal and appear only to help those who live in nursing homes or other institutions, according to Alison Avenell, M.D., of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and her colleagues who published their review of 38 randomized or quasi-randomized trials in the July 2005 issue of issue of The Cochrane Library.

Potential problems exist for uncontrolled intake of calcium and vitamin D. Too much calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia) has been associated with use of calcium supplementation. Mild hypercalcemia may not result in any symptom, or cause loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation and dry mouth, thirst and frequent urination. A severe condition could cause confusion, delirium, coma, and if not treated, death, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.

High levels of vitamin D in the blood (hypervitaminosis D) are also toxic as it induces abnormally high serum calcium levels (hypercalcemia). Virtually all research is showing that vitamin D supplementation in moderation is good for health provided it is not combined with calcium supplementation.

When vitamin D and calcium supplementation are taken together, this increases bone turnover, the rate at which calcium is pumped in and out of bone tissue. This in turn depletes the body’s finite reservoir of bone-making cells.

Every time calcium is processed into new bone a few bone-making cells die. When this happens on a regular basis, the erosion of bone-making cells reduces the body’s capacity to make new bone to replace old bone that is always melting away. The result is osteoporosis.

To protect bones it is best to get enough calcium from a healthy varied diet, and take vitamin D in moderation on its own, i.e. not combinecd with calcium. For the same reason, it is best to avoid dairy milk on days when vitamin D supplements are taken. Dairy milk, which is highly acidic, is also high in calcium and when combined with vitamin D supplementation it has the effect of eroding bone-making cells and increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

For the supporting evidence and latest research on this subject see the book The Milk Imperative.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

My spouse and I stumbled over here different web page and thought
I should check things out. I like what I see so now
i'm following you. Look forward to exploring your web page again.

Take a look at my web blog ... Power Precision
My web page :: Lean Muscle Formula Reviews

Anonymous said...

I am curious to find out what blog platform you have been utilizing?
I'm experiencing some minor security issues with my latest site and I'd like to find something more safe.
Do you have any solutions?

Feel free to visit my page ... Mizulean Reviews

Anonymous said...

I am sure this piece of writing has touched all the internet viewers,
its really really nice post on building up new blog.

Also visit my homepage Best Bodybuilding Supplements

Anonymous said...

Hi to every one, it's in fact a pleasant for me to go to see this site, it contains priceless Information.

My blog Buy Viarex Male Enhancement

Anonymous said...

I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
Did you design this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for
you? Plz answer back as I'm looking to create my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. appreciate it

Have a look at my web-site ... Mitoslim Review

Anonymous said...

fantastic points altogether, you just won a new reader.
What may you recommend in regards to your put up that
you made a few days in the past? Any positive?

Look at my page: Windshield Replacement

Anonymous said...

Great article! We will be linking to this particularly great post on our site.
Keep up the good writing.

Feel free to visit my webpage Best Anti Aging Cream
My web page: http://bestwrinklecreamnow.com

Anonymous said...

No matter if some one searches for his required thing, so he/she desires to be available that
in detail, thus that thing is maintained over here.

My site Home Staging Business

Anonymous said...

Good information. Lucky me I recently found your blog by chance (stumbleupon).
I've saved it for later!

Feel free to surf to my web-site - Pure GCE
my page > Garcinia Cambogia Weight Loss

Anonymous said...

An outstanding share! I've just forwarded this onto a friend who was doing a little research on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast due to the fact that I stumbled upon it for him... lol. So allow me to reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this matter here on your blog.

My blog: Night Skin Care

Anonymous said...

What a stuff of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious experience about unpredicted emotions.


Also visit my web-site: Mitoslim

Anonymous said...

Hi, Neat post. There is an issue with your web site
in internet explorer, may test this? IE still is the marketplace leader and a large component to other people will pass over
your great writing because of this problem.

Also visit my blog post: Full Post

Anonymous said...

Very good info. Lucky me I recently found your
blog by accident (stumbleupon). I've book marked it for later!

Here is my website - Raspberry Ketone

Anonymous said...

You're so awesome! I don't think I have read through something like
that before. So nice to find another person with unique thoughts on this subject.
Really.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is
something that's needed on the internet, someone with a bit of originality!

Here is my page; http://slimlipoplusdiet.com

Anonymous said...

Great beat ! I would like to apprentice at the same time as you
amend your site, how can i subscribe for a weblog web
site? The account helped me a appropriate deal.
I were tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered
vibrant clear concept

Here is my blog post :: Slim Lipo Plus Reviews

Anonymous said...

Just desire to say your article is as astounding.
The clarity in your post is just spectacular and i could assume
you're an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue the gratifying work.

Take a look at my web page lift and glow pro and lift serum pro

Anonymous said...

I want to to thank you for this good read!! I absolutely loved every bit of it.

I have you book marked to check out new stuff you post…

Here is my homepage; navigation

Anonymous said...

Hi! I've been reading your weblog for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Houston Tx! Just wanted to say keep up the fantastic work!

Here is my web-site ... Slim Berry Cleanse

Anonymous said...

Magnificent beat ! I would like to apprentice even as you amend your website, how could i subscribe for
a blog website? The account aided me a applicable deal.
I had been a little bit familiar of this your broadcast offered
shiny clear concept

Also visit my site Xtrasize Male Enhancement

Anonymous said...

Very shortly this web page will be famous amid all blog users, due to
it's nice posts

My site: Ultra Celeb Diet Reviews

Anonymous said...

Hello to all, how is the whole thing, I think every one is getting more from this web site, and your views are good designed for new visitors.



my website - Loss weight fast

Anonymous said...

Great delivery. Solid arguments. Keep up the good
work.

my homepage ... Bellagenix skin care review

Anonymous said...

Hmm is anyone else having problems with the pictures on this blog loading?
I'm trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it's the blog.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Here is my homepage; work from home now

Anonymous said...

This site was... how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I've found something which helped me. Cheers!

Also visit my website :: muscle building program

Anonymous said...

This info is invaluable. How can I find out more?


Feel free to surf to my page Splendyr

Anonymous said...

I would like to thank you for the efforts you've put in writing this website. I am hoping to see the same high-grade blog posts from you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my very own website now ;)

Here is my weblog - Best Supplements for Muscle Growth

Unknown said...

A very good and informative article indeed. It helps me a lot to enhance my knowledge, I really like the way the writer presented his views.
new chapter turmeric