Many people with kidney stones, especially women with kidney stones, question whether calcium intake should be stopped or reduced. Although calcium is the main component of 75% stones, excessive calcium intake is a rare cause of stone formation.
In fact, some studies have shown that limiting calcium intake actually increases the number of stones in most kidney stone patients. This seems to be because oxalates (which usually bind to calcium in the intestine) are more easily absorbed when calcium intake is low. An increase in the amount of oxalic acid in the urine increases the risk of developing stones.
<h1>Which foods contain calcium?</h1>
Calcium is found in many foods. It is mainly concentrated in dairy products such as milk, ice cream and cheese. It is also found in non-dairy products such as broccoli and almonds. Many foods are also rich in calcium, including soy milk and bread.
Calcium is often used as a supplement and can be taken either alone or as part of a multivitamin. In its own case, its most common form is calcium carbonate. Other forms include calcium citrate and coral calcium.
<h1>Q: I'm a woman who takes calcium tablets to prevent osteoporosis, do I need to stop or reduce my calcium tablets?</h1>
A: If you can, you'd better get calcium from dietary sources rather than from calcium supplements. This is because supplements slightly increase the risk of developing stones. In a large study of more than 35,000 women taking calcium vitamin D or placebo, women who took calcium supplements were 17 percent more likely to develop stones than those who took placebo.
Dietary sources of calcium, such as dairy products, have the opposite effect, reducing your risk of developing stones. In a large study of nearly 100,000 female nurses between the ages of 27 and 44 who had no previous history of stone disease, the researchers found that nurses with the highest calcium intake had a lower risk of developing stones than those with the lowest calcium intake. Many other studies have come to similar conclusions: our general recommendation is to maintain a normal dietary calcium intake for most patients but try to avoid calcium supplementation. This is contrary to previous recommendations for patients with kidney stones to reduce their calcium intake.
<h1>Q: I can't eat dairy and need to take supplements. How about different kinds of calcium supplements?</h1>
A: The two most common calcium supplements are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Calcium carbonate is cheaper, while calcium citrate is easier to digest and can be taken on an empty stomach. Calcium citrate is more expensive and contains less calcium per tablet, so more calcium is needed.
Calcium citrate is the first choice for patients with stones because it is beneficial for stones and can also increase the concentration of citric acid in the urine. Citrate is an inhibitor of stones, which makes the formation of calcium-based stones more difficult.
The researchers also found that dietary calcium supplementation seemed to work better than calcium supplementation alone when it came to stone formation. This may be due to the combination of calcium ingested during meals with oxalic acid, a substance that promotes stones.