My daughters used to call me "Birdie Legs" because I have tiny bones and long legs. These slender bones make me a prime candidate for osteoporosis. Sure enough, bone scans show that mine are becoming more porous, more likely to break.
The first thing doctors recommend for women past menopause is calcium supplements, 1200 International Units per day. After my doctor determined that I had virtually no Vitamin D in my blood, he also ordered me to swallow a D3 supplement every day.
I tend to do what doctors order, even knowing that they are human and as prone to err as anyone else. I've been swallowing my calcium tablets faithfully for at least ten years, maybe more. The last two years or so my blood pressure has been inching up and finally, when the top number hit 158, my doctor prescribed blood pressure medication. I've been puzzled by this increase; my top blood pressure number has always been about 100.
Here's the good part: A couple of days ago the daily mail included the Spring 2012 issue of a publication called From The Heart, a newsletter from Saint Luke's Cardiovascular Consultants. St. Luke's is reputed to be one of the best heart treatment centers in our area.
This issue has an article titled, "Is Your Calcium Supplement Hardening Your Arteries Rather Than Your Bones?" This cardiologist reviews thousands of Cardioscans and often sees some people with 'hardening of the arteries' "who have more calcium in their arteries than in the bones of their spine." Recent studies, not cited, "suggest that calcium supplements might increase risk of heart attack in women, probably by accelerating calcified plaque build-up in your coronary arteries."
Well, well, well. Without knowing it, doctors have been ordering me to slowly kill myself.
The author goes on, "On the other hand, meeting your calcium requirement by getting it from your food and beverages appears to be perfectly safe, both for your bones and your heart."
After reading this, I threw my calcium tablets in the trash. I'm making sure to include lots of natural sources of calcium in my daily diet. I had neglected that because I thought the calcium supplements would cover any deficiencies in my diet.
Now I have to find out if there's a way to dissolve and flush away that plaque. Maybe it isn't too late.
One cannot be too cautious or place too much trust in medical professionals. They try to do the best things for their patients, but in this case they've recommended a supplement whose true efficacy had not been proven. Just yesterday a nurse recommended that I eat Tums three times a day to insure that my calcium intake is adequate. She had just taken my blood pressure but had no clue that the two issues might be causally connected. She meant well, but she should have talked to me about nutrition.
The first thing doctors recommend for women past menopause is calcium supplements, 1200 International Units per day. After my doctor determined that I had virtually no Vitamin D in my blood, he also ordered me to swallow a D3 supplement every day.
I tend to do what doctors order, even knowing that they are human and as prone to err as anyone else. I've been swallowing my calcium tablets faithfully for at least ten years, maybe more. The last two years or so my blood pressure has been inching up and finally, when the top number hit 158, my doctor prescribed blood pressure medication. I've been puzzled by this increase; my top blood pressure number has always been about 100.
Here's the good part: A couple of days ago the daily mail included the Spring 2012 issue of a publication called From The Heart, a newsletter from Saint Luke's Cardiovascular Consultants. St. Luke's is reputed to be one of the best heart treatment centers in our area.
This issue has an article titled, "Is Your Calcium Supplement Hardening Your Arteries Rather Than Your Bones?" This cardiologist reviews thousands of Cardioscans and often sees some people with 'hardening of the arteries' "who have more calcium in their arteries than in the bones of their spine." Recent studies, not cited, "suggest that calcium supplements might increase risk of heart attack in women, probably by accelerating calcified plaque build-up in your coronary arteries."
Well, well, well. Without knowing it, doctors have been ordering me to slowly kill myself.
The author goes on, "On the other hand, meeting your calcium requirement by getting it from your food and beverages appears to be perfectly safe, both for your bones and your heart."
After reading this, I threw my calcium tablets in the trash. I'm making sure to include lots of natural sources of calcium in my daily diet. I had neglected that because I thought the calcium supplements would cover any deficiencies in my diet.
Now I have to find out if there's a way to dissolve and flush away that plaque. Maybe it isn't too late.
One cannot be too cautious or place too much trust in medical professionals. They try to do the best things for their patients, but in this case they've recommended a supplement whose true efficacy had not been proven. Just yesterday a nurse recommended that I eat Tums three times a day to insure that my calcium intake is adequate. She had just taken my blood pressure but had no clue that the two issues might be causally connected. She meant well, but she should have talked to me about nutrition.
1 comment:
Whoa, baby! This is something! Big news for so many women! I have also read that calcium supplements can contribute to cataracts. I watched an interesting documentary recently, FORKS OVER KNIVES, and the doctors spotlighted the importance of eating plant based meals. They watched as their patients' high blood pressure lowered within weeks of moving away from animal-based foods. Good luck, Mama! I'm right there with you!
Oh, and THANK YOU for taking the time to share!
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