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# Dietary calcium affects stroke risk in a dose dependent manner
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/dietary_calcium_stroke_risk_1121130734/
- Published: 2013-11-21T20:33:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:21:25.000Z
- Description: Pooling 11 prospective studies covering 9,095 strokes, researchers found each extra 300 mg of dietary calcium a day was linked to 22% lower stroke risk in Asian participants and 18% lower among people eating under 700 mg daily, but 3% higher risk in those already at 700 mg or more.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Minerals, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Thursday Nov 21, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that among non-Asian people, eating too much dietary calcium can increase risk of stroke. Dairy products are high in calcium and often toasted for its high calcium, but it is unknown how this particular source of calcium, which is commonly used by Westerners would affect the risk of stroke.

The study led by Dr. Susanna C. Larsson, a veteran epidemiologist, and colleagues from Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden shows that among Asian people, an additional 300 mg of dietary calcium per day was linked to 22% reduced risk of stroke.

Among all study participants whose daily intake of dietary calcium was lower than 700 mg per day, intake of an additional 300 mg of dietary calcium was associated with 18% reduced risk of stroke. However, among those who had intake of greater than or equal to 700 mg of dietary calcium per day, each additional 300 mg of dietary calcium per day increased the risk of stroke by 3%.

Among Asian people, the higher intake of dietary calcium, the lower the risk of stroke.

The associations were based on data from 11 prospective studies published prior to December 11, 2012\. 9095 cases of stroke were identified in these studies.

The researchers concluded "These findings suggest that dietary calcium intake may be inversely associated with stroke in populations with low to moderate calcium intakes and in Asian populations."

So what is the difference between the diet the Asian use and the Western diet? Western diet is characterized by high meat, high dairy products, high fat and high sugar and refined grains while Asian people tend to eat less of these foods and food components.

A study in JAMA Internal Medicine has already found many years ago that women who ate a Western diet were 46% more likely to suffer coronary heart disease those who ate a diet close to prudent diet which is characterized by fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, poultry, and fish.

The diet Asian people eat is more similar to the prudent diet.

What are the major risk factors for stroke?

Non-modifiable risk factors for stroke include age, gender, race, ethnicity and genetics. And potentially modifiable risk factors for ischemic stroke include hypertension, cardiac disease, diabetes mellitus and glucose metabolism, total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density cholesterol, cigarette smoking, alcohol, illicit drug use, obesity, physical activity, and diet, oral contraceptives, migraine, hemostatic and inflammatory factors, hemocysteine, asymptomatic carotid stenosis, and transient ischemic attacks. (David Liu, PHD)