"Calcium supplements have been widely embraced by doctors and the public, on the grounds that they are a natural and therefore safe way of preventing osteoporotic fractures," said the researchers, led by Professor Sabine Rohrmann, from Zurich University's institute of social and preventative medicine.
"It is now becoming clear that taking this micronutrient in one or two daily[doses] is not natural, in that it does not reproduce the same metabolic effects as calcium in food," they added.
Rohrmann and her team argued: "We should return to seeing calcium as an important component of a balanced diet, and not as a low cost panacea to the universal problem of postmenopausal bone loss."
However many others have been keen to point out the importance of calcium for bone health: “The bottom line is consumers need calcium, and particularly for theelderly, who are at such great risk of falls and fractures due to weak bones, removing calcium supplements from their diets could put them at even greater risk for those kinds of problems,” said Dr Taylor Wallace, senior director, scientific & regulatory affairs, for the US-based Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).
Wallace said the study itself “is not reason enough to discount the important benefits of calcium.”
"Calcium is an important mineral with proven benefits for bone health and a long history of safe use backed by an extensive body of observational and clinical studies that supports its use for reducing the risk for osteoporosis and hip, bone and other fractures.”
Meanwhile, Natasha Stewart, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), noted that whilst the research indicates there may be an increased risk of having a heart attack for people who take calcium supplements ... “this does not mean that these supplements cause heart attacks.”
“Further research is needed to shed light on the relationship between calcium supplements and heart health,” said Stewart. “We need to determine whether potential risks of the supplements outweigh the benefits calcium can give sufferers of conditions such as osteoporosis.”
