From epidemiological studies, there is only weak evidence of an association between dietary calcium intake and blood pressure, yet there are a number of biological mechanisms that suggest an important role for calcium in blood pressure regulation.
Result from epidemiological reports and animal studies suggest a threshold for calcium intake below which arterial pressure increases and a low calcium intake may amplify the effects of a high-NaCl diet on blood pressure.
In the human diets with less than 600 mg calcium/day are most clearly associated with hypertension. There was a study found that individuals consuming less than 300 mg/d calcium experienced 2-3 mmHg higher blood pressures compared to those consuming more than 88 mg/d calcium (Harlan and Harlan 1990).
Because many with high blood pressure have a lower daily calcium intake than people with normal blood pressure, calcium rich foods, including nits and leafy green vegetables such as watercress and kale, should also supplement the diet.
Calcium and blood pressure mechanism
