Taking calcium supplements—even at low doses—has been linked to brain lesions in an overlooked first-of-its-kind study.
Most calcium supplements are just plain bad news. The idea of taking calcium in pill or tablet form to “keep the bones strong” just doesn’t make that much sense given that we are designed to get our calcium from food and our bone is a living tissue that requires vitamin C, amino acids, magnesium, silica, vitamins D and K, etc., not to mention regular physical activity, just as much as it does calcium. Taking calcium to the exclusion of these other critical factors doesn’t make sense—nor does it make sense to look at osteoporosis or osteopenia as a deficiency of calcium supplements!
Instead of pathologizing aging and focusing on making the bone denser by any means necessary, the focus should be on bone quality and agility, and bodily self-awareness late into life, which helps the elderly prevent the falls that lead to fracture in the first place. Simply having a gait or vision disorder can be as important as bone mineral density when it comes to fracture risk.
The problem with low-quality, inorganic calcium supplements, however, doesn’t stop with their potential contribution to cardiovascular disease. A combination of factors including low magnesium, vitamin K2, and the presence of fluoride in the water and diet can lead to calcification of the pineal gland and other brain structures, which recently has been hypothesized to be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Titled “Elevated Brain Lesion Volumes in Older Adults Who Use Calcium Supplements: A Cross-Sectional Clinical Observational Study,” the study looked at the possibility that calcium supplements may be associated with the occurrence in older adults of brain lesions (visible as bright spots called “hyperintensities” in MRI), which are known to be caused by lack of blood flow (ischemia) and subsequent neurological damage. Earlier studies had already linked calcium supplements with vascular pathologies associated with cardiovascular disease, the authors wrote.
“These lesions are common in older adults and increase the risk of devastating health outcomes, including depression, cognitive decline, dementia, stroke, physical disability, hip fracture, and death. Postmortem studies have determined that these lesions form primarily due to ischemia, especially larger lesions (.3mm) and lesions found in depressed individuals,” the researchers wrote.
The observational study enrolled 227 older adults (60 years old and older) and assessed food and supplemental calcium intakes. Participants with supplemental calcium use above zero were categorized as supplement users. Lesion volumes were assessed with MRI scans.
- Greater lesion volumes were found among calcium supplement users than among non-users.
- The effect of calcium supplements was similar to that of high blood pressure (hypertension), “a well-established risk factor for lesions.”
- The study found that the amount of calcium didn’t seem to matter. “The use of ... even low-dose supplements ... by older adults may be associated with greater lesion volumes.”
- Even after controlling for food calcium intake, age, sex, race, years of education, energy intake, depression, and hypertension, the association between calcium supplements and lesion volumes held strong.
Why are Lesions and Calcium Linked?
By the time of the study, there was already an established link between calcium supplementation and increased ischemic stroke risk, indicating that calcium supplementation may contribute to calcium deposits in the vasculature (i.e., arterial calcification), mainly in the fatty deposits that contribute to blocking the opening of the blood vessels.The researchers stated that this process can lead to lack of blood flow and subsequent oxygen deprivation, ultimately leading to the development of brain lesions. Another mechanism by which excess calcium may have a direct neurotoxic effect on the brain is the influx of excess calcium into brain cells, which leads to cell death. This possibility is greatly increased if the blood-brain barrier is compromised.
The researchers also highlighted the importance of the finding that calcium supplementation may have as significant a deleterious effect on brain lesions as high blood pressure (hypertension).
“If this finding is confirmed in longitudinal studies, it could have important health implications—because it is obviously much easier to cease calcium supplement use than to medically manage hypertension.”
In summarizing their findings, the researchers pointed to the significance of the problem.
“The use of [calcium]-containing dietary supplements by older adults was found to be associated with greater brain lesion volumes, even after controlling for the usual amount of dietary [calcium] intake. Interestingly, neither the amount of supplemental [calcium] nor the duration of supplemental [calcium] use was associated with lesion volume. These findings indicate that adverse biochemical effects of supplemental [calcium] use may exist in older adults, regardless of the dose.”
What Do We Do About Calcium Supplements?
First, consider why you think you need calcium supplements. Is it because of the dairy industry promoting for decades the concept that we need calcium (from milk)? Or is it because your doctor is throwing around terms such as osteopenia and osteoporosis without explaining to you that the present-day bone mineral density (BMD) reference ranges assume that aging is a disease and that you should have the BMD of a 25-year-old young woman even if you are 65—an absurd and dangerous idea?Also, remember that the accelerated bone loss that occurs later in life in women is triggered by hormonal changes associated with the exhaustion of the ovarian reserve. Nature, however, provides “backup” support for the ovaries in the form of pomegranate. Other hormone-modulating foods include the fermented soy food miso, prunes, and even vitamin C, which has recently been found to regenerate steroid hormones.