Calcium tablets along with the supplements of other vitamins and minerals have long been popular amongst the medical community in order to get the much-needed nutrients into our bodies which the normal day to day diet cannot give us. However, recent studies have questioned the very concept of supplements which are used to get the vitamins and minerals in an artificial manner.

In fact, one of the most renowned associations, the American Diabetes Association often advises against the taking of any such tablets and supplements because these may not be safe in the long term. Nevertheless, a few researchers believe that taking a small amount will do more benefits than harm to the patients. Let us explore the merits and demerits of taking calcium tablets in diabetes.

So, come and join us in this article where we try to answer the question “Can Diabetics Take Calcium Tablets?”

Why Do You Need Calcium Supplements to Manage Diabetes?

Before understanding whether or not calcium supplements should be taken when you are a diabetic, it is imperative you first understand why do diabetes’ take these calcium supplements in the first place. Following are a few reasons:

• Researchers are of the belief that taking in sufficient amounts of calcium will reduce the risk of you contacting type 2 diabetes. As per one of the studies conducted by researchers, it was found that if you are prediabetic and you take supplements of both calcium and vitamin D, the fasting blood glucose does not rise to a great extent, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes.
• With calcium supplements, the body’s resistance to the hormone insulin is reduced to a large extent. The good amount of calcium in the body further helps the beta cells of the pancreas to release more and more insulin, thereby helping to prevent diabetes, particularly in those who are already prediabetic.
• Glucose metabolism is also said to become much more efficient when you are taking these calcium supplements.
• Another study conducted by the experts suggest that in both men and women who take calcium and vitamin D on a regular basis, the normal levels of the hormone insulin which are required to keep the blood glucose levels within the balanced levels is adequately produced as against those who did not take it.
• According to the food and nutrition board, Institute of Medicine, the recommended levels of calcium for the different individuals are:
• 19 to 50 years of age: 1000 milligrams/day
• 51 to 70 years of age: 1200 milligrams/day
• Above 70 years of age: 1200 milligrams/day

The experts’ belief that since it is difficult to get the above-recommended quantity of calcium by the regular diet, you need to take supplements for getting the health benefits.

In the paragraph that follows, we try to understand why taking calcium tablets may not be such a good idea!!

Harmful Effects of Taking Calcium Supplements

When you do think of taking calcium supplements, you should be careful enough to not ignore the disadvantages of taking the same when you are a person who suffers from diabetes:

• Calcium supplements are mostly taken by women. When you are taking these supplements along with having a diet rich in calcium, you expose yourself to a higher risk of getting heart attacks, strokes, and ischemic heart disease. These conditions lead to even the death in the patients.
• Initially, doctors used to prescribe taking the calcium supplements, particularly to the middle-aged women in order to preserve the bone health of the patients. However, new studies have made them reach the conclusion that taking calcium supplements may not be as great to your health as initially thought of.
• Additionally, studies have found out that if you are someone who is taking very high or very low levels of calcium, the body’s level of equilibrium changes to a great extent and that increases the mortality rates in the patients.
• Taking of the calcium supplements is also known to give you the problem of kidney stones.
• People who take these supplements have also reported problems in their intestines. So, people really do need to watch out before taking these supplements.

Finally, to conclude, the risk of several diseases and even death is said to be high if you are taking more than the recommended amounts of calcium that comes from not only your diet but also through the various calcium supplements you take. If you take the required quantity, you are not exposed to very high risks. Besides, if high intake of calcium comes from your diet, the amount of risk you are exposed to is still lower as compared to when you take too much of calcium in the form of supplements.

We hope that the above article has been able to improve your understanding about the taking of calcium tablets and various other supplements when you have diabetes.  Although there cannot be a precise answer to the question “Can Diabetics Take Calcium Tablets?”, it is better to avoid taking supplements and you should be able to get the required quantity from the diet that you follow regularly. Having said that, you can take the suggestions of an expert and follow what he or she advises.