Better Health & Living: Article: Calcium Fights Cancer

Issue: July 2008

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Calcium Fights Cancer

Cancer spreads to the bones of 7 out of 10 people with advanced breast cancer.

by Sarí Harrar

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Cancer spreads to the bones of 7 out of 10 people with advanced breast cancer. There, tumor cells hijack the natural breakdown and regrowth of bone to churn out new cancer cells.

Now, a lab study suggests that stronger bones are more cancer resistant--and that getting enough calcium to guard bone health could be the key. When Australian researchers compared the growth of cancer in the bones of lab animals, they found that those on a high-calcium diet had fewer cancer cells in their bones, and those cells proliferated less.

Your best move

Aim for 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day--the amount you’ll get from a diet full of fruits, veggies, and whole grains plus three servings of low-fat dairy products. Don’t like dairy? Try supplements, taking up to 500 milligrams of calcium plus 400 IU of vitamin D with a meal. (D helps your body absorb and use calcium; you need 400 to 800 IU per day until age 50 and 800 to 1,000 IU if you’re 50 or older.) “Many older women are known to be calcium deficient due to low dietary calcium intake or to vitamin D deficiency,” says lead researcher Colin R. Dunstan, PhD, of the ANZAC Research Institute in Concord, Australia. “These women could be at increased risk for the devastating effects of bone metastases.”