Calciumsupplementen verhogen de hoeveelheid “goed” cholesterol.* 

- Calcium supplements can boost levels of HDL, or "good," cholesterol in postmenopausal women, according to a report from researchers in New Zealand. Dr. Ian R. Reid and colleagues from the University of Auckland randomly assigned 223 women to take either 1 gram of calcium daily, in the form of calcium citrate, or an inactive placebo, for one year. The women's average age was 72, and none had been treated for high cholesterol or osteoporosis. On average, women taking calcium saw an HDL cholesterol level increase of 7%, Reid's team found. However, calcium supplementation had no effect on levels of triglycerides, another type of fat, the report indicates. The findings provide another reason to encourage postmenopausal women to take calcium, the authors note, and suggest that the mineral's effects should be tested in men as well. Also, larger studies should be done to determine if calcium supplementation has any effect on the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, Reid and colleagues conclude. SOURCE: American Journal of Medicine 2002;112:343-347.

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