Calcium is normally associated with bone health, but is also essential for the proper functioning of your heart, muscles, and nerves. More is not always better, however. In a 2016 study, researchers found taking calcium supplements may risk heart damage.

“When in the blood in normal quantities, [calcium] helps carry electrical activity to the heart (along with the muscles and brain). However, when too much calcium is in the blood, it can alter the electrical activity of the heart, causing a change in heart rate,” says Brynna Connor, MD, healthcare ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.com.

While calcium supplements are associated with heart risk, the same risk does not apply to calcium-rich foods—which all doctors agree are an important part of a healthy diet.

For more info and a list of calcium-rich foods, see what Dr. Connor has to say in this article.