The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) Foundation, the educational, research and philanthropic arm of CRN, released a review reaffirming that supplemental calcium is not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease—countering years of confusion fueled by flawed and misinterpreted studies.
Calcium supplementation has previously been criticized as a potential link to heart attacks and strokes, in large part, due to “secondary analyses of a poorly designed and executed large clinical trial.” The CRN Foundation’s latest analysis, featured in the fourth edition of Vitamin and Mineral Safety found the totality of scientific evidence does not support these concerns.
“Consumers have heard for years that calcium supplements might harm heart health, but that narrative simply isn’t supported by the weight of the science,” said Andrea Wong, PhD, senior vice president and chief science officer at CRN. “When you look at the body of evidence—including independent reviews and recent clinical trials—there is no credible link between calcium supplementation and cardiovascular risk in generally healthy individuals.”
According to CRN, calcium is essential for building and maintaining strong bones and adequate intake plays a major role in reducing the risk of osteoporosis—particularly as people age. Concerns stemming from a handful of earlier studies have led some consumers to avoid supplementation altogether.
The review explains that those earlier findings were based on secondary analyses of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial, which has significant “methodological limitations” including poor compliance tracking, confounding variables and lack of adjustment for known cardiovascular risk factors.
Subsequent, more robust analyses, including reexaminations of WHI data, found no increased risk of heart attack, stroke or overall cardiovascular disease associated with calcium supplementation.
“Calcium plays a vital role in lifelong health, especially for bone strength and healthy aging. Consumers should feel confident meeting their calcium needs through diet and supplements without fear of harming their heart,” Wong said.
For more information, visit www.crnusa.org.
