Calcium reduces the risk of stroke

It has been thought that a high intake of dietary calcium could decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease although no prospective studies have been conducted to determine if such an association actually exists until now. The recent study published in the journal Stroke included 41,562 Japanese men and women between the ages of 40 and 59 years without a history of cardiovascular disease or cancer. The subjects completed a food consumption frequency questionnaire and were followed from 1990 to 2003. Total calcium intake had an inverse relationship with the risk of total stroke. No significant association was found between calcium intake and the risk of coronary heart disease. Therefore, dietary calcium intake, especially from dairy sources does appear to reduce the incidence of stroke among middle-aged men and women. The study appears in the September 1st 2008 issue of the journal Stroke.