Women: Want to Live Longer?

It's as easy as one-two-three.  Well, not quite.  But the answer is calcium, according to a new study.

According to the U.K.'s Daily Mail, women who take 1,000 miligrams of calcium a day "had lower mortality rates," translating into a 22% less chance of dying over 10 years. 

Men showed none of the same benefits. 

If you're like me, you may remember that many doctors (mine included) warned us off calcium, as earlier studies had shown that it increased the risk of heart disease.  But new studies have proven this wrong.

For a while now I've sworn off vitamins (other than fish oil, if that counts) because I've been reading about all the (untrue) claims that purveyors make without having to prove any of them.  Who knows exactly what goes into your vitamin? It could be a sugar pill, for all you know, since they're not regulated. 

But I have to say this gave me pause.  Still, if you read down further, the article says that you can also get this calcium from your food, including dairy products and fish, if you have a healthy diet. 

So it's up to you. If you feel you get enough calcium from your daily meals, forget you ever read this. But if you suspect you don't, you might want to pick up some calcium supplements the next time you're at CVS. But don't take more than 1,000 miligrams, as more has not been shown to have any benefit.

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