A new medical review of people over 50 finds taking daily calcium supplements doesn’t do much to strengthen bones and might even increase your risk of heart attacks, kidney stones and abdominal pain.

“If your doctor told you to take this, I would check in before you stop, but if you’re taking it on your own, it’s important to know that some of these side effects are very serious and there doesn’t seem to be much benefit,” explains ABC News Chief Health Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser.

“You want to eat a diet rich in calcium, and just as important, you need to do exercise that builds strong bones, so lifting weights, and then anything that gets you up your feet, so walking, jogging, running, dancing, all of these can help,” Besser advises.

Researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand found dietary calcium and supplementation did protect against osteoporosis, but the improvements are small and do not change after the first year.