The World Health Organization wants to get into the supplement business.

That's right--they want to put calcium and magnesium in water supplies all over the world. Why? Well, for your own good, of course!

Last year, WHO officials published a report promoting the enhancement of worldwide water supplies with calcium and magnesium. The primary issue: Mass supplementation with these two minerals might reduce heart disease deaths. Additional benefits in reduction of osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes would just be smiley frosting on a happy cake.

On one hand, I like it that WHO seems to be embracing dietary supplementation. And I'll also give them a nod for including magnesium with calcium. As Dr. Spreen has pointed out, calcium taken without magnesium can actually harm arterial walls.

Unfortunately, there's a lot more than that to the calcium story.

Dr. Spreen: "Calcium requires more than just magnesium: It also needs manganese, boron, silica, strontium, usually digestive enzymes, often additional betaine hydrochloride, and ALWAYS vitamin D."

But more important: What form of calcium will be used?

If someone at WHO has been watching too much television, he might get it in his head that the inexpensive calcium in antacids would be a perfect choice.

Yeah...bad idea.

Dr. Spreen cautions that the calcium form used in antacids lowers the acid level (pH) in the stomach. And that acid is necessary for digestion of many nutrients and proteins.

Worldwide? That could turn into kind of a HUGE problem.

Out of control

Meanwhile, back at WHO headquarters, you know some expert has got to be saying, "Why stop at calcium and magnesium? Let's include vitamin D and prevent millions of cases of cancer."

And that just gets another WHO official going: "Well we might as well put vitamin C in there too. And then some E and A will make it a powerful antioxidant cocktail."

And by the time they've formed a committee to start the ball rolling, B complex has been added, along with vitamin K, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, zinc, copper, etc.

Crazy idea? No crazier than putting calcium and magnesium in the water. Because it comes down to one glaring problem: You can't control your dose.

One-size-fits-all is a great idea for baseball caps, but a really bad idea for vitamin and mineral intake.

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