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A and-new, long-term Swedish study, however, suggests that consuming more than 1,400 mg of calcium per day increases one's risk of dying, particularly of cardiovascular disease. The study, published in Fe uary, included 61,433 women born between 1914 and 1948 and followed up with them for a median of 19 years.
Those who consumed an overall calcium intake of at least 1,400 mg per day had a significantly higher death rate compared with those who consumed 600 to 1,000 mg a day. The 1,400 mg group had nearly twice the risk of dying from heart disease.
What exactly does that 1,400 mg figure represent? What do you have to eat to reach it? You probably have to eat non-food.
If you pop two Tums Smoothies (they are easier to chew), you have just ingested 600 mg of calcium. Say you required those Tums after a lunch at Mickey D's, where you ingested 390 mg of calcium from the vanilla shake. The cheeseburger you paired with it, contained 167 mg. If you added French fries, that's only another 20 mg. Now, let's imagine that you started your day with a Centrum Silver Women's 50-plus vitamin. The calcium calculator would have begun the day at 500 mg. Add that to your Tums… As you can see, supplemental calcium is the big-ticket item. Without the antacid and vitamins, your total would have been under 600 mg. (1000 mg per day is the recommended daily amount for adults aged 19 to 70.)
So we find ourselves back where we have so often been— re-discovering that getting our nourishment from fresh food is a winning plan. Calcium is important to our existence. Supplements may not be. Even if you are lactose intolerant, there are dietary options for securing your calcium through nature. Among the variety of choices are the always recommended leafy greens, soybeans, oatmeal, sesame seeds, sardines, and almonds.
