We get asked this question- a lot.  Calcium is an important mineral when it comes to bone health, no question about it. Our bone is constantly remodeling. At the age of 30, we reach our peak bone mass. After 30, our bodies are losing more bone than we gain. Calcium is a small component of maintaining solid bone health as we age.  But with so many other beneficial supplements for women, calcium is not one I typically advise taking in supplement form because there could be more harm than good. And we can really only absorb about 500 mg of calcium at one time anyway- many supplement forms come in much higher doses which is where the danger lies in calcium supplementation.

How are calcium supplements potentially harmful to us?

• Increase in Kidney Stone Risk

In the Woman’s Health Initiative- women taking calcium-vitamin D had a higher risk of developing kidney stones. Dietary calcium (calcium we get from our food) did not have that same increased risk of kidney stones.

• Increase in Heart Disease

A study published in the Journal of American Heart Association studied calcium supplement use and showed the risk of developing coronary artery calcification was 22% higher in those who used supplements than those who did not take a supplement. [1]

And in another study among calcium supplement users, a high intake of calcium greater than 1400 mg/day has been reported to be associated with higher death rates from all causes, including from Cardiovascular Disease. [2]

Get your calcium from your diet!

Most of us are getting plenty of calcium from our diet and if we aren’t already, we should make it a priority to get calcium naturally from a dietary source, not a supplement form. We should still strive for roughly 1000 mg of calcium daily. Calcium rich foods are dairy products, cheese, almonds, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, chickpeas, lentils. If for some reason you aren’t getting enough calcium through these products, consider a LOW DOSE calcium supplement in the form of 500 mg or less just once daily.

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[1] Calcium Intake From Diet and Supplements and the Risk of Coronary Artery Calcification and its Progression Among Older Adults: 10‐Year Follow‐up of the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Anderson, et al.  Originally published11 Oct 2016https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.116.003815Journal of the American Heart Association. 2016;5:e003815

2.Michaelsson K, Melhus H, Warensjo Lemming E, Wolk A, Byberg L. Long term calcium intake and rates of all cause and cardiovascular mortality: community based prospective longitudinal cohort study. BMJ. 2013; 346:f228.Google Scholar

 

To know if you would benefit from collagen or biotin supplements, it is important to understand what exactly collagen is and where it is located. Collagen is essentially a protein made up of little building blocks of amino acids. The main amino acids in a collagen molecule are arginine, proline, hydroxyproline, and glycine. These amino acids form a triple helix structure which is collagen. Molecules that help support this structure are vitamin C, zinc, copper and manganese.

Collagen is found throughout our body in bones, tendons, ligaments, skin, blood vessels and even our internal organs like our kidneys and liver.

There are 3 main types of collagen in humans.

Type I
This type is found in bones, ligaments, tendons and skin for elasticity and strength. Bovine and fish supplements may help with these types of collagen.

Type II

This is cartilage- the tissue that cushions our joints or is found in the pinna of our ear.

Type III
This type is found alongside type I in skin, blood vessels and internal organs. The supplement source comes from bovine.

One point I like to make regarding collagen supplements- the collagen does not just directly float to your skin and bones and insert itself directly. After we ingest a collagen supplement, it gets broken down in our GI tract into its smaller parts- those 4 amino acids I mentioned earlier: arginine, proline, hydroxyproline and glycine. Our body can then possibly use these amino acids to rebuild new proteins where it feels this is necessary, but this is not a guarantee. Eating a high protein diet in general could potentially be more beneficial for collagen support.  As we get older, our body requires more protein to maintain healthy muscle mass, strong bones, and repair damages. I usually advise focusing efforts on a high protein diet and focusing on an individuals’ micronutrient deficiencies over taking a collagen supplement. Micronutrient testing can show which amino acids or vitamins and minerals we are deficient in so we can focus our efforts on adding those deficiencies as supplements.  

When considering collagen supplements, it’s essential to choose high-quality sources. Collagen can be derived from various sources, including bovine, marine, and poultry. Marine collagen, sourced from fish, is particularly popular due to its bioavailability and absorption rate. Additionally, collagen peptides, which are smaller, more easily digestible forms of collagen, are commonly found in supplements, maximizing their effectiveness.

Overall, I would say studies are divided on whether collagen benefits us or not. The harm is fairly minimal as long as you are using a trusted source- so I usually don’t discourage patients from taking collagen if they personally feel they have a benefit. Some potential negative effects of collagen are the potential for heavy metals or toxins to be in your collagen product if not from a reputable source. There is also the potential for collagen to cause high calcium, GI issues like diarrhea and kidney stones. Whether or not to start it though, is a personal decision. I would say if there is a plan to start collagen, consistently taking it for 6 months and monitoring for improvement in joint pain, skin texture, flexibility would be a good gauge if the supplement is benefiting you individually. If no improvement, you stop.