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Comment by hzay | Hacker News Reader

This is great. My mother had osteoporosis and I hope they come up with a therapy she can use!

However as a currently breastfeeding mother, I'm asked by doctors to take calcium supplements every day (I only remember it once a week or so), and they threaten me with future osteoporosis if I don't take it. But these researchers are saying that breastfeeding mothers' bones aren't affected despite calcium depletion?

Fwiw I've also read research that the bones are indeed affected (as measured by density) but they rebound after you stop breastfeeding. I remember that the most depletion happened in the lumbar region, and that the rebound didn't happen fully if there was "parity" (multiple kids).

So idk. I hope their premise is correct.

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The conventional wisdom and common recommendation is to supplement with calcium, but I saw at least one study stating that it is not necessary: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9584497/

I rather suspect that if you are already eating a diet deficient in calcium, breastfeeding may exacerbate the issue, and since the supplements tend to have a poor bioavailability, taking them even if you don't need to isn't going to be harmful. Eat a healthy balance of foods and you are probably fine.

I may have a nurse for a mother, but I am very much not a doctor.

Meat is a great source of bioavailable calcium.

is this true? Outside of seafood that's not what I'm seeing. Mostly dairy and plant-based foods have the most calcium [1]

[1] https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/patients/treatment...

That isn't a table of bioavailability.

> taking them even if you don't need to isn't going to be harmful

I think, the transporter for calcium is the same used for some other minerals. So, if you're not mindful (about timing), you may be competitively blocking the absorption of e.g. zinc, which is much more precious nutritionally - zinc is very important for immune function and healing, while deficiency is common.

Calcium supplements can cause constipation, which may be not very fun after giving birth... Not to mention the implications of (lack of) quality control in the supplement market, by proxy, for a rapidly developing human being. Which substances are part of the formulation, other than calcium salts? Does the adult portion of copper or X accumulate in a mother's milk?

Not saying, you shouldn't take calcium supplements. But really, any supplement can be harmful, if consumed without need or consideration. (Fun fact: Vitamin A supplementation increases lung cancer risk!)

My water supply appears to be flush with calcium - I have to poke my shower head's holes out every few months. I wonder if it's good for me or if it's in too large of excess. Would probably help if I remembered the vitamin D more often, since you need that to absorb the calcium.

Tip: vinegar does wonders (for shower heads, not absorption).

You still need to provide calcium to the body to deploy to one's own bones. This hormone apparently directs that process. It can't do that in the absence of sufficient calcium, of course, so supplements still seem like a good idea.

> (I only remember it once a week or so)

Yikes. How about one of those 7-compartment SMTWTFS pill boxes? Store it alongside your morning coffee supply.

My amnesia is somewhat intentional. Like some of the commenters here, I'm doubtful if I should really take it everyday. Just seems excessive? Did it during pregnancy ofc, and it's not like the early days of breastfeeding when you're making almost a liter a day (kiddo is 2.5 so while still BFing, it's not an important source of food), so idk. My grandmother had like 10 kids, breastfed them all and never had bone issues. My mother breastfed us v little (<6 months all together) and got osteoporosis. I'm not at all sure how well-supported this recommendation is.

I try to eat more yogurt/kefir instead.

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