Calcium Supplementation Raises the Risk of Prostate Cancer, While Swimming Lowers It

Middle-aged and elderly people are prone to lower back and leg pain due to calcium loss, and many like to go to the pharmacy to buy calcium supplements, thinking they can improve symptoms such as lower back and leg pain and cramps by supplementing calcium. In fact, for middle-aged and elderly men, calcium supplementation also has side effects: it raises the risk of prostate cancer.

For patients with confirmed prostate cancer or people at potentially high risk of prostate cancer, calcium supplementation not only fails to reduce bone loss but actually worsens the condition. Carolyn at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in the United States once led a study that measured bone density before and after prostate cancer patients received hormone therapy plus calcium and vitamin D; the results showed that the patients' bone density actually declined after supplementation. So calcium supplementation cannot improve the symptoms related to calcium loss in such patients.

In addition, excessive intake of calcium also increases the risk of myocardial infarction. Chinese people have always valued taking supplements; as soon as they hear that a certain supplement or food has a tonifying effect, they naturally assume it is beneficial and harmless. In fact, this widely accepted view is wrong.

So what can improve the lower back and leg pain and cramps caused by calcium loss in middle-aged and elderly men? The best method is swimming.

The bones and joints of middle-aged and elderly men are already degenerating, so strenuous exercises that damage bones and joints, such as heavy mountain climbing and running, are unsuitable. Swimming, by contrast, is an exercise that is very good for bones and joints; it not only promotes the recovery of the patient's muscle strength but also improves the flexibility of the patient's bones. As long as the pool water temperature is suitable, swimming is beneficial and harmless even for patients with arthritis.

Not only that, swimming is also an exercise that can prevent prostate cancer; for patients who already have prostate cancer, swimming more also helps control its progression. When men swim, it promotes local blood and lymph circulation in the prostate, which is good for improving the symptoms brought by prostatitis and prostate cancer.

However, when swimming, one should pay attention to controlling the exercise intensity and not overdo it. Beginners can gradually increase their swimming time. Outdoor winter swimmers should take care to guard against cold and frostbite; people who are frail and untrained should be cautious about outdoor winter swimming.