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Ian Lloyd
Pharmacist
Peoples Pharmacy |
.....Sometimes my articles do not have a clear theme. This is one of those articles. These are three very different supplements, which I receive a lot of questions about. I forgot they do have one thing in common; they have all been in the news recently. Some were in the news for a good reason and others were not.
.....It is true that calcium is responsible for building a strong body. While you do not have to take supplements, taking extra calcium in the form of supplements can ensure you get enough. Taking extra calcium might be a wise idea, according to a recent study result that appeared in the April 2006 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. The researchers did an analysis of the diet of teenage girls. The study found that the average calcium intake in girls 9 to 18 was only 814 milligrams per day. The recommended intake for calcium is 1,300 milligrams per day for females of this age. I found this article very troubling, because most of a person’s bone density is obtained before the age of 30.
.....Another news report surprised me. High dietary calcium intake appears to lessen the severity of a stroke. Patients admitted to the hospital after having a stroke had their blood levels of calciim hecked. Those patients with higher blood levels of calcium, had fewer complications than those patients that had lower blood calcium.
.....The Osteoporosis Association of Canada recommends that women over the age of 50 get at least 1500mg of elementary calcium a day. I often get asked which form of calcium is best. The best form of calcium is the kind |
that you remember to take. It is true that calcium citrate is slightly better absorbed than calcium carbonate, but the difference is not very significant. Magnesium is sometimes added to calcium supplements for a couple of reasons. It can offset the constipating side effects of calcium and your body also uses it to make bone. The minerals zinc, copper and manganese also play a role in bone health. A good multi-vitamin has adequate amounts of all of these minerals, except magnesium.
It is important to ensure that you are taking enough vitamin D to absorb and use the calcium you are taking. Many calcium supplements will have vitamin D added. Your body needs vitamin D to make bone. Some people ask me if they still need to take vitamin D, since the body can make its own supply from sunlight. While this is true; do you get at
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least 15 minutes of direct sunlight every single day of the year? This might not be the case for everyone, especially during the winter months or for those who are shut-ins. I recommend about 400-800IU of vitamin D a day just to be sure.
 .....Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that was believed for the longest time to have no real use. However, recent research has found many uses for this vitamin. It has been shown to help prevent leg cramps, hot flashes, and heal the skin. The most important finding for this vitamin is its ability to help prevent heart disease. .....Numerous studies have been done regarding vitamin E and its effect on heart disease. Some studies have shown no benefit and some have shown that regular dietary supplementation with vitamin E significantly reduces the risk of heart disease. I feel that the positive results outweigh the negative; this is based upon the cost, possible risks and potential benefits of taking vitamin E. .....This is just my personal feeling; you can feel free to disagree with me. My wife does it quite regularly.
.....One study that grabbed lots of press in late 2004 showed that people who took higher doses of vitamin E had a greater risk of mortality |
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