High calcium intakes may improve male survival: Study

[Jacob]

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High calcium intakes may improve male survival: Study
By Stephen Daniells, 25-Feb-2010

Related topics: Research, Minerals, Cancer risk reduction, Cardiovascular health

Intakes of calcium above the recommended daily levels may reduce the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer by 25 per cent, says a new study from Sweden.

Average daily intakes of 1,953 m of the mineral were also associated with a non-significant lower risk of mortality from only heart disease, compared to average daily intakes of 990 mg per day, according to findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Recommended daily intakes of calcium for people between 19 and 50 years of age are 1,000 mg for both men and women, according to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

On the other hand, intakes of magnesium were not associated with mortality from all-causes, heart disease or cancer, report researchers led by Alicja Wolk from the Karolinska Institutet.

Wolk and her co-workers analysed data from 23,366 Swedish men aged between 45 79, non of whom used dietary supplements. Between 1998 and the end of 2007, they documented 2,358 deaths from all causes, which included 819 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 738 from cancer.

The highest average intakes, almost double the recommended levels, were associated with a 25 per cent reduction in so-called all-cause mortality, compared with the lowest average intakes, said the researchers.

Magnesium intakes up to about 523 milligrams per day were not associated with any modifications to the risk of all-cause, CVD, or cancer mortality, they added.

“This population-based, prospective study of men with relatively high intakes of dietary calcium and magnesium showed that intake of calcium above that recommended daily may reduce all-cause mortality,” they concluded.

Blood pressure link

The findings relating to heart disease appear to be inline with findings from other studies, which have reported that the mineral may lower blood pressure and reduced the risk of hypertension. Such a link is controversial, however, with a Cochrane review published in 2006 reporting that the associations were weak.

Various studies have also linked the mineral to reduced risks of colorectal (when combined with vitamin D) and prostate cancer. However, the new study found no significant relationship between calcium intakes and the risk of mortality from cancer.

Too much of a good thing

According to the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements, excessive calcium intakes may impair kidney function and detrimentally affect the absorption of other minerals.

The upper tolerable limit for the mineral is 2,500 milligrams, and excessive calcium intakes rarely occur from dietary or supplemental calcium intakes, said the NIH ODS.

Source: American Journal of Epidemiology
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1093/aje/kwp467
“Dietary Calcium and Magnesium Intake and Mortality: A Prospective Study of Men”
Authors: J. Kaluza, N. Orsini, E.B. Levitan, A. Brzozowska, W. Roszkowski, A. Wolk

[Jacob]

Health News
By VRP Staff

It’s easy to think of low bone density as strictly a female concern—after all, 80 percent of the osteoporosis patients in this country are, in fact, women. Nevertheless, there are still roughly 2 million men who suffer from dangerously depleted bone mass… and if you’re a man over the age of 50, you could be one of them.1

There are a number of factors that stack the odds against men over 50: poor diet, alcohol abuse, family history or diabetes, to name a few.2 But just as often, it’s a decline in critical male hormones—including testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)—that’s to blame. Natural increases in sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) with age, make for less available testosterone in a man’s body—and increases in an enzyme called aromatase tip hormonal balance in favor of estrogen as men age.3-4

The result is increased risk of osteoporosis—a link confirmed by the higher incidence of low bone mass in men undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to treat prostate cancer. In fact, studies show that reductions in circulating androgens will lead to osteoporosis and osteopenia (low bone mass) in roughly 80 percent of ADT-treated prostate cancer patients—with these conditions only worsening over time.5-6

Hormonal imbalances aren’t the only culprit in male osteoporosis, however. A number of popular pharmaceuticals have also been connected to bone loss in men—among them is a class of heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Emerging research has revealed that long-term PPI use can raise your risk of hip fracture by as much as 245 percent—a serious side effect resulting from impaired absorption of bone-building calcium.7

Even drugs used to treat depression—known as serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or SSRIs—could be responsible for drops in bone density. Studies have indicated significant decreases in bone mass among men taking these drugs, as well as a two-fold increase in the risk of non-vertebral fractures.8-9

Luckily, a number of studies have also shed light on strategies to counteract these common threats—and as you might expect, daily calcium supplementation is the first place to start.

By pairing calcium with vitamin D3, you can maximize calcium’s absorption and improve your muscular functions, reducing your risk of both falls and fractures by as much as 24 percent.10-11 Meanwhile, boosting your intake of vitamin K is another natural way to reinforce bone strength—while intake of ipriflavone (a synthetic soy isoflavone) and the mineral strontium are clinically proven to protect bone integrity as well.12-14

Of course, balanced androgen levels are critical, too—and for that, combinations of plant-based compounds like myricetin, beta-sitosterol and luteolin can help. All three have been shown to inhibit the testosterone-converting enzymes, 5-alpha-reductase and aromatase—while the herb Urtica dioica can bind with SHGB, enabling more testosterone to circulate in a man’s body.15-18 Finally, the botanical Eurycoma longifolia jack has been shown to stimulate male sex hormones—and to deliver the added perk of a stronger sex drive—in animal studies.19-20

No man over 50 can afford to spare any of these bone-saving nutrients—and that’s why you’ll find them all in just three daily formulas, Osteoflavone Complex, Calcium Citrate/Malate and AndroAMP, available now through Vitamin Research Products.

http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?utm_co ... le2898&utm

[Darrell]

According to doctor Average daily intakes of 1,953 m of the mineral were also associated with a non-significant lower risk of mortality from only heart disease, compared to average daily intakes of 990 mg per day, according to findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.