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Draft:Calcium

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Revision as of 08:28, 26 January 2020 by Tessa.Altman (talk | contribs) (→‎Conflicting Information)

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see Help:Writing Fact Sheets and the articles in Fact Sheets Listing

Note that we want only enough information to convincingly support the assertion and counter inaccurate information. When making a point, it is important to find those sources that will result in the most convincing arguments, and to summarize findings in the most convincing manner, all without misrepresenting or exaggerating those sources.

Places to start for research:

Is there research showing that vegans are generally not deficient in calcium, or that non-vegans are?

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Fact Sheet

Assertion

  • This fact sheet supports the assertion that calcium from animal sources is not necessary and may be harmful to health.

Context

  • Calcium is an important mineral that is considered essential to our health.Not only is it known to keep bones healthy, but it also aids in allowing our blood to clot, muscles to contract, and heart to beat.[1]
  • Because milk and other dairy products contain calcium, Americans have been encouraged for decades to consume dairy as a way to strengthen their bones and fight against issues like osteoporosis.
  • To reach the daily recommended amount of calcium, which ranges between 1,000 milligrams to 1,200 milligrams per day depending on one's age and gender[2], a person would have to consume large amounts of dairy, calcium-fortified foods, or supplements. However, due to dairy’s links to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions, animal-derived calcium sources like dairy can cause plenty of health problems that non-animal sources do not.
  • According to a study from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, a plant-based diet may actually be associated with a lower calcium requirement for bone health.

Research

  • According to the NHS, there are many good sources of calcium that are not animal derived. Instead, vegan calcium sources largely come from plants, such as green, leafy vegetables and dried fruits, in addition to fortified non-dairy milks.[3]
  • Harvard’s School of Public Health has guidelines for choosing the best sources of calcium and encourages people to look beyond the dairy aisle. Though Harvard recommends one to two servings of dairy-derived calcium per day, the school acknowledges that more servings will not improve your bone health, nor will less harm you, providing you find calcium from other sources, such as leafy greens, broccoli, and tofu. Other tips for healthy bones do not include dairy, instead focusing on getting enough Vitamin D and getting active on a regular basis.[4]
  • The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has noted several health concerns regarding dairy. As one of the top sources of saturated fat, milk and dairy can lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even Alzheimer's diseases. Studies have also linked dairy to an increased risk of ovarian, breast, and prostate cancer. Saturated fat is known to clog arteries, and dairy products are also high in cholesterol. The Physicians Committee also notes that cheese, a dairy product, is especially dangerous, typically being made up of 70 percent fat.[5]
  • According to the British Medicine Journal, an analysis showed that most studies cannot link the consumption of dairy to broken bones or fractures. The study concluded that there is no clinical trial evidence to show that increasing calcium from dietary sources prevents fractures and that any evidence supporting calcium supplements helping to prevent fractures is generally weak and inconsistent.[6]
  • Though it is not common, it is possible to consume too much calcium. Naim Maalouf, MD, an endocrinologist specializing in mineral metabolism, claims that, while 50% of his female patients don’t get enough calcium, about 5% consume too much. These women generally take calcium supplements on top of getting the amount of calcium they need just from food. This can possibly result in the calcium making its into fatty plaques in the arteries, which can then reduce blood supply to the heart.[7]
  • Consuming too much calcium can also lead to Milk-Alkali Syndrome. In the beginning of the 20th century, people began treating peptic ulcer disease with a combination of milk and alkali. While issues of MAS initially decreased, there was a resurgence due to an increased use of calcium carbonate, which was used to fight off osteoporosis. Milk-Alkali Syndrome can cause hypercalcemia, renal failure, and metabolic alkalosis and is the third most common cause of hypercalcemia, which is the result of too much calcium in a person’s system.[8]
  • Consuming too much dairy doesn’t lead to the strong bones most people have been led to believe. In fact, studies have shown that too much milk (more than three glasses a day) was not associated with healthy bones: instead, it was linked to not only an increased mortality but a higher chance of fractures and hip fractures.
  • In a 2003 study, researchers sought “to determine the calcium balance of individuals on a vegan diet in comparison with a lactovegetarian diet in a short-term investigation.” The results showed “that calcium balance and a marker of bone turnover are not affected significantly when calcium is provided either solely by plant foods or by a diet including dairy products, despite the significantly different calcium intake levels in the diets.” That same study concluded “that a well-selected vegan diet maintains calcium status, at least for a short-term period.”[9]

Conflicting Information

  • In a 2009 study by Robert P. Heaney, MD, Heaney concluded that “it is difficult to devise a diet that is ‘bone healthy’ without including three servings of dairy per day, not just because of dairy calcium, but dairy protein and potassium as well.”[10] However, there are plenty of non-dairy sources of calcium, protein, and potassium making the consumption of dairy unnecessary.[11] This study also predates studies that show either little to no link between consuming dairy and having stronger bones.[12]

Other Sources

  • <-- expert testimony from prestigious or credentialed people or organizations -->

See Also

Plain Text

Footnotes

  1. ↑ https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/
  2. ↑ https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/
  3. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-vegan-diet/
  4. ↑ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/
  5. ↑ https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/health-concerns-about-dairy
  6. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4784799/
  7. ↑ https://utswmed.org/medblog/calcium/
  8. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664604/
  9. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12491091
  10. ↑ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07315724.2009.10719808?needAccess=true
  11. ↑ https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.php
  12. ↑ https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/health-concerns-about-dairy

Meta

This article was originally authored by Tessa Altman with contributions by Greg Fuller. The contents may have been edited since that time by others.

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