You know you need calcium for strong bones. But a new study suggests that skimping on this vital mineral could increase your risk of developing hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), a hormone condition that can suck the calcium from your bones and elsewhere if left untreated.
In the 22-year-long Nurses’ Health Study I, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School examined the calcium intake of 58,354 women between the ages of 39 and 66 who completed food frequency questionnaires every four years. What they found was that women who consumed the most calcium through food and supplements had a 44% reduced risk of developing PHPT, which is marked by an uncontrolled release of the parathyroid hormone.
In healthy bodies, the parathyroid hormone is gradually released when calcium levels are low; it takes calcium from the bones, bladder, or elsewhere and distributes it into the bloodstream to keep calcium levels within a certain range for homeostasis, explains lead study author Julie Paik, M.D., instructor and attending physician of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. PHPT occurs when benign tumors on the parathyroid gland open the parathyroid hormone floodgates, causing symptoms such as fragile, sometimes painful bones, kidney stones, nausea, fatigue, and depression.
“We don’t know what causes these tumors, but we do know that the gland is regulated by calcium levels, and that when there are low calcium levels in the blood over a long period of time, the mutation occurs and the tumor occurs,” says Paik.
While PHPT only effects about one in 800 people, and is most common among post-menopausal women, it’s smart to begin prevention efforts now—particularly because surgery is required to treat PHPT. Your best bet is to get enough calcium through diet and supplements.
While the government recommends that women between the ages of 19 and 50 consume 1,000 mg of calcium a day, women in the study who supplemented their diets with half as much had a 59% lower risk of developing PHPT than those who took none. Because each individual’s needs are different, it’s best to talk to your physician about how much calcium you need. And in the meantime? One-thousand milligrams a day isn’t a hard goal to hit: just eat an 8-ounce low-fat yogurt (415mg) for breakfast, toss your lunch salad with 1.5 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese (307 mg), and wash down dinner with an 8-ounce glass of skim milk (299 mg).
Not down with eating dairy? Don’t sweat it. While milk, yogurt, and cheese are naturally rich in the mineral, loads of calcium can also be found in foods such as sardines (325 mg in 3 oz) and salmon (131 mg in 3 oz), plus tofu (253 mg in ½ cup) and some dark-green leafy vegetable such as kale (94 mg in 1 cup). Moreover, calcium is added to foods such as fortified OJ (375 mg in 6 oz), and some breakfast cereals (up to 1000 mg in just 1 cup!), many milk alternatives–just check the label–and these surprising foods rich in calcium, too. You can also talk to your physician about whether supplements are right for you.
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