Well, this is disconcerting.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...ia-448801.html

I hope this link works....about high Ca causing dementia?

there is not enough active Vit D in foods to make a difference.

There are many studies utilizing vitamins. Some are flawed.

The most cogent thoughts so far are to limit Calcium supplements when on high dose Vit D3 therapies.

Calcifications may come, but I think taking serum levels of calcium would reveal more.
Also calcifications also occur when magnesium is low.

I really don't think people can get hypercalcemia from foods or basic supplements that are not high dose D3.

Notice that details are lacking from this article.
D2 or D3? Dairy typically is D2, 100IU per 8oz of milk.
Not a risk IMO.

Alzheimer's has had reports of high iron, high zinc, high aluminum also in brains over the years. No one knows for sure what is going on still!

Well that's just wonderfull. My GI put me on 600mg of Ca and 400 IU of Vit D twice a day because of a study that show that long term use of Nexium can increase the risk of osteoporosis. Dementia or osteoporosis? Just great

I would not put much faith in that UK article..Don't let it scare you.

800IU a day of Vit D mixed with calcium... is it D2 or D3?

If D2, it won't work much at all. If D3, it is still not a high dose.

Long term use of Nexium and other acid reducing drugs can lead to neurological damage from low B12.

http://peripheralneuropathycenter.uc...utrition.shtml

So far we know that other nutrients are affected by these drugs too, nutrients dependent on acid in the stomach for absorption:

Calcium
Magnesium
Zinc
Folate
B12
Iron
protein

It is D3 with Ca

800IU is a very low dose. It USED to be considered good, but the new information changes that.

The average ratio of units of D3 to blood test results is 1000IU for each 10ng/ of blood test results. So if you know your initial D levels, you can determine how much to take to get you into range.

With all the new research being accepted by many current doctors in teaching facilities, the range is now 50ng-80ng target.

Lab results are reported as 30ng-80ng. (30 is the minimum to prevent rickets).

Here is the new medical video on Vit D.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread92116.html

OTC combo products are not going to have therapeutic levels of anything in them, as a rule. To find therapeutic levels of any nutrient now in US, you have to be informed and look for them mostly on the net.

It is really best to get tested for your D status in order to understand what YOUR BODY really needs. General old levels are not longer thought to be accurate anymore.

Most Calcium in supplements (when D is low or below normal) is not absorbed. Average is about 20-25% per dose. So not all the 600mg is absorbed each pill. When D is optimum more can be expected to be absorbed. Also you have to factor in "elemental values" and the 600mg is not elemental. So it is possible you get less than 100mg from each 600mg tablet.

My magnesium thread on Vitamin forum explains "elemental". Most labels do not give this yet, and so people remain unclear and confused as to what their supplement is really providing.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp
Calcium carbonate is about 40% calcium (the rest is carbonate).
600mg of calcium carbonate is 240mg of calcium elemental of which only about 25% is absorbed with poor Vit D levels.
That would be 60mg perhaps. With mega doses of Vit D3 in the 5000IU range and above absorption may increase, but studies don't say yet how much. So what looks like a big number isn't really.

Most of the calcium you take in tablets remains in the bowel. In fact, this bowel excretion in the stool is thought to help prevent colon cancer.

edit to add: The goal to achieve ranges given by grassrootshealth.net are 40-60ng/ml target. The ranges from VitaminD council are 50-80ng/ml
However, both sources agree anything in the 30's or below are too low.

I never know what to do.....it seems safer to just sit and eat chocolates.

I think if they monitor bone, and you are not having memory issues....you are ok? Who knows?

At least when I am senile, I wont worry about this crud....or the economy.

I will say this again.... beware of articles that do not give DETAILS...

Here are some other studies in more detail:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/11301.php

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=91891831

What this says is that REGULATION of calcium is the key. Calcium levels in the blood remain fairly constant when you are normal. If you don't consume enough, the body will take it from your bones. Calcium is critical for proper nerve functions in the heart and elsewhere.

The RDA for calcium is quite high for this reason.

More:
genetic dysregulation of the calcium in your tissues:
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_ch...?storyid=23953

I really think superficial "scare" articles do a great deal of damage in blocking our understanding of how things in the body really work. People latch onto the emotional content of articles of that type and don't dig deeper into the real facts. So, please, do be careful reading lay media articles, which may be poorly or incompletely written.

If the doc says it take it, I will...I have other things besides dementia to worry about.