Calcium supplement is an old topic, but after so many years, the current situation of calcium deficiency in China is still very serious.
Recently, the International Osteoporosis Foundation has produced a “World Calcium Supplement Map” based on relevant research in 2017, which shows the daily intake of calcium by people in various countries and regions through food.
The brighter the color in the map, the less calcium it lacks. China is the most striking one of them.
Average dietary calcium intake (mg/day)
Source: www.iofbonehealth.org
Another chart gives detailed data. The daily intake of calcium in China is 338 milligrams, far lower than the 800 milligrams recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents.(The recommended calcium intake for people in the second and third trimester of pregnancy and over 50 years old is 1000 mg).
Source: www.iofbonehealth.org
Most Chinese are calcium deficient, in other words, if you don’t pay attention to your diet, it is very likely that you and your family are calcium deficient, but you don’t realize it.
People’s bone mass peaks around the age of 30 and then begins to decline. It is not easy to fracture when you are old to supplement calcium while you are young.
Calcium supplement is urgent.
Correct calcium supplement, eat like this
Eat more of these foods, and my mother will no longer worry about my calcium deficiency.
Milk is the first choice for calcium supplement.
Milk is the well-deserved king of calcium supplement. It is rich in calcium, 100 milliliters of milk contains more than 100 milligrams of calcium, and the calcium in milk is especially easy to absorb, so it is the most ideal [food calcium tablet].
It is suggested to drink 300 grams of milk every day. Friends who do not like milk can drink yogurt instead.
Green vegetables are also rich in calcium.
Eating more green leafy vegetables is another golden rule for calcium supplement.
Among the common green leafy vegetables, rape, green bean and shepherd’s purse are the most calcium supplements. The calcium content per 100g of rape, green bean and shepherd’s purse is 108 mg, 135 mg and 294 mg respectively, which is higher than that of milk.
However, although there is more calcium in green leafy vegetables, their absorption efficiency is not as good as that of milk, so they can only be ranked behind milk.
Tofu and dried tofu are also good.
In the process of making tofu and dried bean curd, brine or gypsum containing calcium will be added, so many bean products are also rich in calcium.
Tofu with different methods has different calcium contents:
- Brine tofu: also called north tofu, calcium content 138 mg/100 g; Gypsum tofu: also called south tofu, calcium content 116 mg/100 g.
From today on, be a tofu lover.
Vitamin D Helps Calcium Absorption
Sun exposure can help skin synthesize vitamin D, but ultraviolet rays in sunlight can also harm skin.
If you are worried about ultraviolet rays or do not have enough sunlight, you can eat foods that strengthen vitamin D or take vitamin D supplements.
It is enough to supplement 400 units of vitamin D every day., don’t eat it just because it can help calcium absorption.
Calcium tablets are also an option
The best way to supplement calcium is to eat food. Calcium tablets are only an additional supplement.
If there is no guarantee of sufficient milk and rich dark green vegetables in your daily diet, you can eat calcium tablets.
When selecting calcium tablets, attention should be paid to the calcium content of each tablet, carefully check the packaging, and give priority to small doses (100 ~ 300mg) and supplement them as needed.
These dietary traps make us [calcium deficiency]
The following foods are often tricked under the guise of calcium supplement. In fact, they do not supplement calcium, and some will lack calcium if they eat too much.
Bone Decoction Does Not Supplement Calcium
Bones are indeed rich in calcium, but this does not mean that calcium can melt into soup. Just like how to wash in the bath will not melt the calcium in the body into the bath water.
When the bone soup is boiled, the bone marrow in the bone is boiled, which contains a large amount of fat. After repeated boiling at high temperature, it turns milky white, and the rich taste is also brought by fat.
There are similar misunderstandings with bone soup, as well as fish soup, small row soup and chicken soup, which think they are supplementing calcium but are actually drinking fat.
Eating shrimps does not supplement calcium.
Shrimp skin has high calcium content, but its absorption rate is very poor, and the overall calcium supplement effect is far worse than that of milk.
Moreover, shrimps are very salty. 100g of shrimps contain 5057 milligrams of sodium, equivalent to 13g of salt. Eating 10g at a time is already a lot.
If you eat too much, you will not only fail to supplement calcium, but also cause salty throat pain, which does more harm than good.
Drinking soya-bean milk does not supplement calcium.
Tofu and dried bean curd are rich in calcium, but soybean milk is not.
Soymilk contains a large amount of water, and there are no high calcium-containing components such as brine and gypsum, of which calcium is very small.
There is only 10 milligrams of calcium in every 100g of soybean milk. If you want to supplement calcium by drinking soybean milk, you will be held up to death before you can supplement enough.
Eating too much salt will lead to calcium deficiency.
The more salty you eat, the more calcium you lose.
Sodium in salt has a great relationship with calcium excreted in urine. For every 2300 milligrams of sodium (equivalent to 6 grams of salt) excreted by the kidney, 40-60 milligrams of calcium will be lost.
What’s more, Chinese people generally eat salty food, far exceeding the recommended amount (6g per day), and calcium loss is more serious.
For the important calcium, the taste should be lighter.
Eating too much meat will also lead to calcium deficiency.
Protein in food is helpful for calcium absorption, but if you eat too much protein, it will not be conducive to calcium absorption, increase urine excretion of calcium, and cause calcium deficiency.
Therefore, according to the recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents, it is enough to eat 40-75g of meat, that is, palm-sized meat, every day.
Lastly draw the key pointsIf you want to supplement calcium, you should eat more: milk and green vegetables, such as small rape, green beans, shepherd’s purse, tofu and dried bean curd.
If you don’t have enough food supplements, you can also take vitamin D and calcium tablets.
As for bone soup, shrimp skin and soybean milk, they do not supplement calcium. Eating too much salt, especially meat, will also increase the loss of calcium.
Don’t forget to share these simple and effective calcium supplement knowledge with your friends.
In the new year, the body is better!
This article is written by Li Liangli, a master of nutrition from Fudan University.
Audit
Source of cover photo: www.hizy.net Genuine Photo Library
Editor: Dong Tian