Calcium and Cholesterol

Calcium and Cholesterol

It’s general knowledge among most people that calcium is essential for healthy bone development.  What is lesser known is the fact that calcium can also assist in increasing HDL levels.  The American Journal of Medicine conducted a study involving 223 women.  These women were given two options: they could either take 1 gram, (1,000 mg) of calcium citrate or a placebo.  They had to take these supplements for one year.  Throughout this year the women had their cholesterol levels tested, with researchers looking specifically at LDL and HDL levels.  At the conclusion of the study, researchers found that the women taking the calcium supplements had higher HDLs than the women who took the placebo.  Specifically, the women who took the calcium supplements saw their HDL levels rise 7 percent.  This is not bad considering the fact that calcium is a nutrient that is needed anyway. Of course, don’t think that just any type of calcium supplement will do if you want to improve your cholesterol.  In fact, if you’re taking calcium carbonate supplement you will not get the best effects, since its absorption rate is not steady.  The calcium supplement that you should seek is calcium citrate malate.  This is because the medical community believes that calcium citrate malate has the highest absorption rate in the stomach and intestines.  According to Dr. Allen S. Josephs, author of The Calcium-Cholesterol connection, this rate is an astounding 1,000 percent.  Another reason you should seek only calcium citrate malate supplements is because other types of calcium supplements contain toxic metals.  This is due to the carbonate that is in them.  Carbonate comes from oyster shells, coral, bone meal or even dolomite.  If too much of these toxic metals are consumed, you could put your health at risk…. a risk that is even greater than if you hadn’t of taken the supplement at all.

Curious as to where you can find calcium citrate malate supplements, so you can get started in taking advantage of calcium’s cholesterol lowering benefits?  One of the most recommended is created from the Nutraceutical Sciences Institute, (also known as NSI).  NSI calcium citrate malate supplements can be sold with just calcium citrate malate, (which costs $9.99 for 200 capsules) or in combination with magnesium and Vitamin D.  NSI calcium citrate malate with Vitamin D costs $13.99 for 300 capsules, while NSI calcium citrate malate with magnesium and Vitamin D costs $9.99 for 180 capsules.  Which one of these supplements should you choose?  Well, magnesium is an essential nutrient that many people may not get in their diet, and you probably already know the value of Vitamin D.  Also, cost-wise there’s not much difference between the calcium citrate malate without any vitamins and the calcium citrate malate with magnesium and Vitamin D; (the only difference is that the latter comes with fewer pills).  So, ultimately the calcium citrate malate with magnesium and vitamin D is the best value.

Make sure if you decide to take calcium supplements that you don’t overdose, thinking that more would help lower your cholesterol quicker.  Too much calcium has been known to cause kidney stones.  Always follow the dosage instructions provided on the bottle of the supplement.