There’s been a lot of information about calcium and kidney stones on the internet. Don’t take calcium supplements. Take more calcium. Yes, no. Maybe, maybe not. It can be so confusing! And any one that has had a kidney stone knows that you don’t want another one. I know. I’ve suffered from a couple. And after having 2 children without an epidural, I can say that those kidney stones were worse than any childbirth I experienced. (Sorry ladies, I know you want your husbands to think that childbirth is worse than kidney stones, but really, for me, it wasn't!)
So what is the real scoop on calcium and kidney stones? Kidney stones are composed of 4 different minerals, calcium, uric acid, struvite, and cystine. The majority of stones are calcium oxalate. Because most of the stones are made of calcium and oxalate, many times people believe if they just decrease the amount of calcium that they consume, either through diet or supplements, they will decrease the risk of recurring kidney stones. But that doesn’t really seem to be the case.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1997 followed 91,731 nurses that had never had kidney stones. These nurses were followed for 12 years to determine the rate of developing kidney stones. There was actually an association of greater calcium intake through the diet with less kidney stone development. There was also an association of greater chance of developing kidney stones if the nurses were taking calcium supplements. How can that be? More calcium = fewer kidney stones. Calcium supplement = kidney stones. Is the calcium supplement itself responsible? No. In fact, the study authors actually thought that the reason the supplement users had higher rates of kidney stones is because of WHEN they took the supplement because most of the calcium supplements were taken without food.
Why is food important? Well, the calcium in food can bind with oxalate that’s also in the food before it gets to the kidneys. If they bind together before reaching the kidney, they will not bind together in the kidney where it causes kidney stones. This suggests that taking calcium with food is a better way to take your calcium. With Cal-EZ, powdered calcium and vitamin D, this is easy. Sprinkle it on your soft food or in you beverage at meal time. So now there’s no need to sacrifice your calcium intake because of kidney stones.
If you'd like to try Cal-EZ to see how easy it is to take your calcium and vitamin D with food, now's the time. You can try it free for a limited time. Click the button below to enter your information so we can send you a free sample.
