STOP Taking Calcium Supplements (What to Know) 2024
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Dr. Berry challenges the common belief that calcium supplements strengthen bones, stating that they do not and may even increase health risks like heart attacks and kidney stones. He emphasizes that research does not support the benefits of calcium for bone strength, and instead, recommends weight-bearing exercise, vitamin D supplements, and cautions against milk consumption for adults. He urges viewers to share this information to prevent potential health issues in their loved ones.
Takeaways
- 🛑 Dr. Berry strongly advises against taking calcium supplements, stating they do not strengthen bones and may increase health risks.
- 🔍 The belief that calcium supplements strengthen bones is based on expert opinion rather than solid research evidence.
- 🧬 No study has proven that daily calcium supplements reduce the risk of bone fractures or increase bone strength.
- 🌏 Among the 5,700 species of mammals, humans are the only ones that consume milk as adults, and humans also have the highest rates of osteoporosis.
- 📊 Countries with the highest milk and calcium intake tend to have the highest fracture and osteoporosis rates.
- ⚠️ Calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attacks, kidney stones, prostate cancer in men, and ovarian cancer in women.
- 🏋️♂️ Weight-bearing exercise is the most effective, free way to increase bone strength and density.
- ☀️ Vitamin D supplements are recommended over calcium to improve bone health.
- 🥛 Dr. Berry suggests that adults should stop drinking milk, as it does not contribute to bone health and may increase health risks.
- 👪 The message is a call to action to share this information with loved ones who may be taking calcium supplements unknowingly.
- 💼 Dr. Berry encourages viewers to discuss the use of prescription medications for bone health with their doctors, as they may not increase bone strength as expected.
Q & A
What is the main message Dr. Berry wants to convey in the video?
-Dr. Berry's main message is that taking calcium supplements does not make bones stronger and can actually increase the risk of negative health outcomes such as heart attacks, kidney stones, and certain types of cancer.
Why is Dr. Berry asking viewers to subscribe to his channel?
-Dr. Berry is asking viewers to subscribe to help spread his message to a wider audience and to ensure they receive future messages and updates.
What is the common misconception about calcium and bone health that Dr. Berry addresses?
-The common misconception is that taking calcium supplements or drinking lots of milk will make bones stronger, which Dr. Berry argues is not supported by evidence.
What type of medical research does Dr. Berry consider to be the most reliable?
-Dr. Berry considers placebo-controlled, double-blind studies to be the most reliable form of medical research because they provide the most accurate results.
What does Dr. Berry claim about the relationship between calcium intake and bone strength based on research?
-Dr. Berry claims that no study has ever proven that taking a calcium supplement increases bone strength or reduces the likelihood of broken bones.
What thought exercise does Dr. Berry present to challenge the belief that drinking milk is beneficial for adults?
-Dr. Berry points out that humans are the only species among the 5,700 species of mammals that drink milk as adults, and yet they are the only ones who suffer from osteoporosis.
What is the correlation Dr. Berry mentions between milk intake and fracture rates among different countries?
-Dr. Berry states that countries with the highest milk and calcium intake also have the highest fracture rates and osteoporosis prevalence.
What are the three things Dr. Berry suggests to increase bone strength instead of taking calcium supplements?
-Dr. Berry suggests weight-bearing exercise, taking a vitamin D supplement, and stopping milk consumption as the three things to increase bone strength.
Why does Dr. Berry recommend weight-bearing exercise for bone health?
-Weight-bearing exercise is recommended because it stresses the bones, leading to increased bone strength as the bones adapt to the stress.
What is Dr. Berry's opinion on vitamin D supplements in relation to bone health?
-Dr. Berry believes that taking a vitamin D supplement can make bones stronger, unlike calcium supplements which he advises against.
What is Dr. Berry's stance on drinking milk for adults according to the script?
-Dr. Berry suggests that adults should stop drinking milk, as it does not provide the health benefits it is often credited with and may increase the risk of certain health issues.
Outlines
🚫 The Myth of Calcium Supplements for Bone Health
Dr. Berry starts the video by urging viewers to stop taking calcium supplements, asserting that they do not strengthen bones and may lead to negative health outcomes. He emphasizes the importance of subscribing to his channel to help spread this message. He challenges the common belief that calcium intake from supplements or milk makes bones stronger, stating that this idea is not backed by solid evidence but rather expert opinion. Dr. Berry highlights the lack of research proving that calcium supplements reduce the risk of bone fractures and points out that large studies have not found any such benefit.
🧠 Rethinking Calcium Intake and Its Risks
In this paragraph, Dr. Berry delves into the potential risks associated with calcium supplements. He discusses how increased calcium intake does not improve bone strength but may instead raise the risk of heart attacks, kidney stones, prostate cancer in men, and ovarian cancer in women. He uses thought exercises to challenge common sense beliefs about calcium, such as the fact that humans are the only adult mammals that consume milk and that countries with the highest calcium intake also have the highest fracture rates. Dr. Berry stresses that there is no benefit to calcium supplements and encourages viewers to consider alternative methods to strengthen bones.
🏋️♂️ Three Evidence-Based Tips for Stronger Bones
Dr. Berry provides three scientifically-backed tips to strengthen bones, starting with weight-bearing exercise, which he emphasizes is essential for bone health. He clarifies that bone strength is not static and can improve with the right activities. The second tip is to take a vitamin D supplement, which is crucial for bone health, and the third is to stop drinking milk, which he argues is unnecessary for adults and may contribute to health issues. He encourages viewers to share this information with their loved ones who may be taking calcium supplements unknowingly, to prevent potential health risks.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Calcium Supplement
💡Bone Strength
💡Medical Outcomes
💡Evidence-Based Medicine
💡Osteoporosis
💡Weight-Bearing Exercise
💡Vitamin D Supplement
💡Milk Intake
💡Heart Attack
💡Kidney Stones
💡Cancer Risk
Highlights
Dr. Berry warns against taking calcium supplements, stating they do not strengthen bones and may increase health risks.
The belief that calcium supplements strengthen bones is based on expert opinion rather than solid research evidence.
No study has proven that daily calcium supplements reduce the likelihood of bone fractures.
Humans are the only adult mammal species that consumes milk, yet we have one of the highest rates of osteoporosis.
Countries with the highest calcium intake also have the highest fracture and osteoporosis rates.
Calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attack, kidney stones, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer.
Weight-bearing exercise, such as brisk walking, running, or lifting weights, is proven to strengthen bones.
Vitamin D supplements are recommended over calcium for bone health.
Dr. Berry advises against regular milk consumption, suggesting it may contribute to health issues rather than benefiting bone strength.
Bones are not static; they can grow stronger or weaker based on daily activities and nutrition.
Prescription drugs that increase bone density may not necessarily increase bone strength or reduce fracture risk.
Dr. Berry encourages viewers to discuss the effectiveness of their osteoporosis medications with their doctors.
The video aims to correct common misconceptions about calcium and bone health based on research and evidence.
Dr. Berry emphasizes the importance of sharing this information to prevent unnecessary health risks from calcium supplements.
A Patreon account is mentioned for those who wish to support Dr. Berry in creating more educational content.
The video concludes with a call to action to help spread the message about what truly strengthens bones.
Transcripts
hey this is dr. berry in this video I
want to talk to you about something
that's very important if you're taking a
calcium supplement stop it right now it
does not make your bones any stronger
and it can absolutely increase your risk
of very bad medical outcomes okay first
please take one second and hit the
subscribe button right there somewhere
that helps me spread this message to
people who need it and to spread future
messages so click the subscribe button
and maybe hit that Bell now let's talk
about calcium this is one of those
subjects that we all think we know
exactly the truth about this matter
it's not open for debate you should take
a calcium supplement you should drink
lots of milk because it makes your bones
stronger right okay if you believe if
you're not in going yeah that's right
then you need to watch this video this
is very very important I've been
studying this issue for a while I've
been looking at the research and what
I'm about to tell you you're probably
not going to believe what you've been
told
strengthens your bones actually doesn't
at all and increases your risk of having
bad medical outcomes in other parts of
your life at the end of this video I'm
going to tell you the three things that
absolutely have been proven by large
research studies to increase your bone
strength and decrease your risk of a
fracture you may not believe how simple
it is and how cheap it is okay so let's
talk about calcium if you're my age
group you remember all of a sudden we
were being told in the media
oh you need to take a calcium supplement
it helps to keep your bones stronger
it's very good for you you don't get
enough calcium in your diet you need to
take calcium and so we all thought well
calcium bones bones have a lot of
calcium yeah makes sense okay so we all
started doing that problem is this is
one of those evidence-based medicine
things that wasn't based on any real
evidence it was based on expert opinion
and so I think I've talked about before
the hierarchy of medical research the
best medical research of all is the
placebo controlled double-blind study
because you get real answers from that
if you're able to do a big enough study
and then as you come down you come down
to observational and other kinds of
studies at the very bottom of the barrel
if you don't have anything else to go on
then you get a bunch of experts in a
room and you ask their opinion and
then that's what you based the
recommendation on taking a calcium
supplement was based on none of this at
all it was based on expert opinion yeah
that's right that's exactly why you've
been taking that calcium supplement for
the last 20 years is because I got a
bunch of experts from Harvard and other
places in the room and they decided that
was in your best interest based on no
meaningful research at all not joking so
wait a minute dr. berry you're telling
me that there's no big research study
that shows that taking more calcium
increases your bone strength no no
there's not there's no study that shows
that if you take a calcium supplement
every day you're less likely to have a
broken bone mm-hmm no no there's no
study that study does not exist yeah
true story so what the heck's going on
here so they actually you know they
wanted really badly to prove this so
they did some big studies but at the end
of every study when you looked at the
true meaningful results background noise
it didn't do anything to increase your
bone strength whatsoever not a single
study has ever proved it now let's talk
about a couple of thought exercises here
and I think you'll get the the reasoning
behind what I'm saying
there are about 5,700 species of mammal
on this planet now the definition of a
mammal is that they make milk for their
babies that's what a mammal is they have
mammary glands and there's about 5,700
species of mammal on this planet but
only one of those species drinks milk as
an adult do you know which one it is
humans that's right we're the only ones
unless humans force our cats and dogs to
drink milk no other adult animal on the
planet no other adult mammal does that
period not a single one now out of the
5700 species of mammal on this planet do
you know how many species gets
osteoporosis or brittle bones one humans
that's right
yeah so just immediately your common
sense should kick in and you should go
what wait a minute okay here's another
thought exercise there are a hundred and
ninety five countries
this planet mmm 493 depending on your
political and religious orientation but
about 195 countries on this planet the
countries with the highest milk intake
the countries with the highest calcium
intake are also the countries that have
the highest fracture rate highest hip
fracture rate the highest rate of
osteoporosis so the countries that have
the lowest calcium intake have many much
less osteoporosis much less brittle
bones much less in the way of hip
fractures I mean so you see my point
here first of all the common sense is
totally against this if you look at it
like that right so with those two
thought exercises your common sense
muscle ought to be kicking in big-time
saying wait a minute so when the
researchers who fervently believed that
more calcium would make your bones
stronger they did design these huge
studies to prove it problem is they
didn't it didn't prove it it actually
proved that council Eve had no effect on
the bone strength at all so what did
those studies they found some things but
it wasn't stronger bones what they found
was is that taking a calcium supplement
certainly increased your risk of a heart
attack yeah yeah a heart attack your
rate of heart attack your risk of heart
attack goes up as your calcium intake
goes up whether it's from milk whether
it's from a calcium supplement calcium
intake makes your heart attack risk go
up that obviously is not a good thing
they also found that quite likely the
more calcium you takes the higher your
risk of kidney stones and I've never had
one but when a woman tells you that
something hurts worse than childbirth
you don't want that and I've had many a
female patient tell me that her kidney
stone was worse than having a baby so
calcium supplements almost certainly
increase your risk of kidney stones
promise you don't want that almost
certainly taking a calcium supplement
increases a man's chance of having
prostate cancer another finding was that
it almost certainly increases a woman's
ovarian cancer just taking citracal or
Cal trait or any of the generic calcium
supplements or just drinking lots of
milk thinking that the calcium is going
to do your body good or do your bones
good all it does is increase your risk
of heart attack and probably increase
your risk of cancer and kidney stone so
there's no benefit whatsoever to taking
a calcium supplement
you got that now here are the things the
three things that you can do that are
almost free that will definitely
increase your bone strength now there
are some prescription drugs that your
doctor can prescribe for you like boniva
Fosamax actonel Forteo that increase
your bone density
now density sounds like strength but the
problem is is when they do the big
studies even though these medicines are
they do increase your bone density they
evidently don't really increase your
bone strength because they barely affect
fracture risk at all so if you're taking
any kind of calcium supplement that's
over-the-counter go get it right now and
throw it in the garbage you'll actually
be saving money not wasting money if
you're taking a prescription medication
to prevent or to treat osteoporosis I
want you to go back and see your doctor
and say hey doc now this crazy doctor on
YouTube said that this medicine makes my
bone density stronger but that may not
be the same thing as bone strength is
that true see what he says watch watch
his face watch his expression we'll just
see what he says about that so the three
things you can do to increase your bone
density that have been proven in those
big studies that have been proven time
and time again to make your bones
stronger because that's what we want
when you fall we all fall when you fall
we don't want you to break a bone we
want your bones to be strong enough that
they don't break that's what matters we
don't want to care about your bone
density I don't really care about
anything except when you fall down I
don't want you to break a bone I also
don't want to cause you to have a heart
attack or cause you to have a kidney
stone or cause you to have cancer okay
so number one the number one thing you
can do that's absolutely free that will
increase your bone density more than
anything else you can possibly do is
weight bearing exercise now I've told
you before exercise won't help you lose
weight but it will make your bones
stronger I don't mean walking on the
treadmill I don't mean on the
Stairmaster I mean weight-bearing so
either walking briskly running lifting
weights those things stress your bones
and that makes your bones stronger we
all often think of our bones as rocks
they're just rocks they're just that's
it they're done they don't change when
you're an adult your bone is what your
bone is and you can't do anything about
it that is absolutely false okay
your bones are like trees they're
constantly growing they're constantly
getting stronger or weaker
they're getting straighter or they're
getting more bent every day based on
what you do and what you eat and what
you take true story no argument there
so your bones are going to get better or
worse based on are you doing
weight-bearing exercise so if you go for
a walk every day if you lift some some
weights your bones are getting stronger
if you go to work and sit for eight
hours and then come home and sit for
eight hours and then go to bed for eight
hours your bones are getting weaker
definitely no doubt about that so find
some time once or twice in your day to
do a few minutes of a weight-bearing
exercise it's free and it's proven
beyond any doubt to increase your bone
strength okay number two take a vitamin
D supplement
don't take a calcium supplement throw
the calcium in the garbage but take a
vitamin D supplement because that will
make your bones stronger okay number
three stop drinking milk remember this
is coming from a milk baby I grew up I
was a football player in high school in
my teenage years I drink almost a gallon
of milk a day
my family propagandize milk to me to the
point where I almost had a religious
fervor belief in milk only with years of
thought and study and looking into the
research have I come to my current
opinion that you don't need milk at all
when you're a grown-up so don't think
that I've drank the kool-aid I've put
the kool-aid down you don't need to
drink milk all milk does is increase
your risk of cancer heart attack kidney
stones you don't need it stop drinking
it okay if you love milk have us
small glass once a day as a treat but
don't consider it food because it's not
okay now last thing I need you to do for
me I really need you to help me share
this message and I'll tell you why I
found out that my 88 year old
grandmother just the other day I found
out she was still taking a calcium
supplement knowing would I know I see my
grandmother all the time we talk at
least twice a week on the phone it never
occurred to me that she was still taking
a calcium supplement your grandmother is
probably taking one to your mom your
aunt your sister they're taking calcium
supplements because they got into the
habit women are really good at getting
into habits of things that they think
help themselves or others she's got that
she's put it in her little pill box and
she takes it every day and she doesn't
think a thing about it please share this
video with your mom with your sister
with your grandmother if she's on social
media if she's not she will be shortly
you've got to share this because I
guarantee you you've got loved ones who
are taking a calcium supplement and
increasing their risk of heart attack
right now
please help me get this message out and
prevent heart attacks please help me get
this message out and prevent prostate
cancer kidney stones
please let's prevent kidney stones let's
keep these things from happening and
let's spread the word about what
actually makes your bones stronger okay
now if you'd like to help me have more
time in my day to make these videos I
have a patreon account and you can you
can give me a buck a month that's all I
mean literally that would help so much
because I have to take time away from my
duties in the clinic or away from my
family to make these videos I love
making these videos but there are only
so many hours in the day so check out my
patreon page if you want to help this is
doctor Barry I'll see you next time
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