For years, doctors have been telling women, particularly post-menopausal women to take a daily calcium supplement in order to promote strong healthy bones and avoid osteoporosis. Now comes evidence that these calcium supplements may not be beneficial to women after all. In fact, a study shows that they may actually cause harm.

Researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, performed a study on 12,000 post-menopausal women. Half of them were given a daily calcium supplement, while the other half were given a placebo. Of the 6,000 that were given a calcium supplement on a daily basis, 143 of them suffered a hearth attack. On the other hand, out of the 6,000 that were given the placebo, only 111 of them suffered a heart attack. This was a 31% increase in the women receiving the calcium supplement.

No one has found a reason for the increased risk of having a heart attack for those taking a calcium supplement. However, there are some theories that will be looked into further.

Other studies have shown that calcium supplements do very little in preventing bone fractures in older women. Although calcium found in foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese, do in fact help prevent fractures.