Dietary Calcium: A Method of Lowering Blood Pressure

Previous work in this laboratory has shown that supplemental dietary calcium using milk as the source can lower blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels. Attempting to circumvent lactose intolerance, a 6-month crossover study of blood pressure and serum lipids in 50 free-living volunteers was done comparing 1,150 mg/day of supplemental calcium via yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk to 32 oz/day of orange juice. Systolic blood pressure responded dramatically initially to calcium supplementation and continued lower than on orange juice at 6 months, 120 +/- 1.5 to 115 +/- 1.5 mm Hg, P less than 0.2, vs. 118 +/- 1.7 to 117 +/- 1.6 mm Hg. Diastolic blood pressure and serum lipid changes were not significant. Dietary calcium supplementation may prove beneficial in lowering systolic blood pressure in the long term.