Calcium supplement, blood supplement, brain supplement...are these hidden "nutrition kings" on your table?

As people pay more and more attention to health care, the knowledge of "drinking milk to supplement calcium and eating walnuts to supplement brain" has become more and more popular. In fact, some inconspicuous ingredients in life may have more advantages!

01

Green leafy vegetables, the neglected "high calcium player"

Calcium is an essential element for the human body. Calcium deficiency in children directly affects their height development , and calcium deficiency in the elderly is prone to osteoporosis and bone pain . When it comes to calcium supplementation, many people's first reaction is to drink milk or take calcium tablets.

In fact, green leafy vegetables are also "calcium supplement experts". Although their calcium absorption rate is lower than that of milk , they are rich in magnesium, potassium, vitamins, etc., which can improve the body's utilization of calcium, prevent calcium loss, and promote calcium deposition in the bones , doubling the effect of calcium!

1. Vegetables with higher calcium content than milk

Every 100g of milk contains about 100mg of calcium, and the following vegetables have higher calcium content than it:

① Radish tops , known as "natural calcium tablets", have a calcium content of up to 350mg/100g. They are also rich in vitamin K, which is essential for bone formation, making the calcium supplement effect better.

② Shepherd's purse , known as the "king of calcium" among vegetables, contains up to 294mg/100g of calcium. If you want to supplement calcium on a daily basis, a bowl of shepherd's purse mixed with tofu is a good choice.

③ Chinese kale . Every 100 grams of Chinese kale contains 199 mg of calcium. It can be eaten with eggs to supplement calcium.

④ The calcium content of green amaranth is 187mg/100g, and the calcium content of red amaranth is 178mg/100g. It is also rich in folic acid, which has a protective effect on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. ⑤ Celery , 100g of celery contains 160mg of calcium, and eating celery regularly can clear the intestines, aid digestion and stimulate appetite.

2. Improve calcium absorption through cooking methods

There are some ways to improve the absorption of calcium from green leafy vegetables in daily life:

①Blanching in water before cooking can effectively reduce the amount of oxalic acid, phytic acid and other ingredients that hinder calcium absorption;

② Add a little vinegar when cooking, or eat with high-protein foods, which can convert bound calcium into soluble calcium and increase absorption rate;

③Don’t add too much salt when cooking to avoid affecting calcium absorption.

02

Unexpected "brain-boosting food"

Many middle-aged and elderly friends have deeply felt that as they age, their memory declines significantly, and they often lose things, which brings some inconvenience to their lives.

In order to enhance memory , people eat more brain-boosting foods in their daily diet, the most common of which is walnuts .

Indeed, the ω-3 unsaturated fatty acids and α-linolenic acid rich in walnuts can be converted into DHA after being absorbed by the human body, providing the necessary nutrients for brain development .

However, walnuts have a high fat content and are not suitable for eating too much , so you might as well replace them with the following "brain supplements":

1. “Animal Ginseng” – Quail Eggs

The content of lecithin and cephalin in quail eggs is 3 to 4 times that of eggs. These two substances are indispensable nutrients for higher nervous activities. Regular intake helps improve memory , reduce brain cell apoptosis, and strengthen brain function.

For those who work with their brains frequently, as well as children, teenagers and the elderly, eating a few quail eggs every day can have a good brain-boosting and intelligence-enhancing effect.

2. “Brain-boosting vegetable” – daylily

Daylily is also rich in phospholipids, and it is also known as "forget-me-not". The B vitamins it contains can regulate nerves, making people happy and calm .

People who use their brain frequently, have poor sleep quality, and have poor memory may wish to give it a try.

3. “Brain-nourishing beans” – broad beans

Broad beans contain a large amount of important trace elements that regulate the brain and nervous tissue , such as calcium, zinc, manganese, phospholipids, choline, etc.

Moreover, it contains a wide variety of amino acids, especially tyrosine, which is an important raw material for synthesizing dopamine, which can help the brain stay "young"; there is also a substance called levodopa , which helps nourish the nerves, so it is also very suitable for Parkinson's patients.

03

For anemia, eating this is more effective than eating red dates

If you have pale skin and lips, feel weak, tired, cold hands and feet, thin and brittle nails that break easily, or feel dizzy and breathless, you may be suffering from anemia . At this time, many people would think of eating red dates or donkey- hide gelatin to replenish their body.

However, it should be made clear that anemia usually requires iron supplementation, and the iron content of red dates is not high , with each 100g of fresh dates containing about 5-6mg of iron, and dried dates containing at most 2-4mg. Therefore, it is not very effective in improving anemia.

The cause of anemia may not only be iron deficiency , but also folic acid, vitamin B12 deficiency, etc. Therefore, dietary supplements should also be taken from many aspects:

1. There is an "iron triangle" for iron supplementation

Iron supplementation mainly relies on heme iron in animal foods. The important sources are the "iron triangle", namely red meat, animal blood and liver , such as: lean pork, beef; duck blood, pig blood; pig liver, chicken liver, etc.

2. Make good use of vitamin C, this good partner. Vitamin C can promote the absorption of non-heme iron . When eating iron-rich vegetables, consuming some high-vitamin C foods can increase the iron absorption rate in vegetables by 2 to 3 times .

Foods like fresh dates, oranges, kiwis, cabbage, green peppers, etc. are rich in vitamin C and you can eat more of them.

3. Fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement folic acid

Folic acid is also known as the "hematopoietic vitamin". If the human body lacks folic acid , the maturation process of red blood cells will be hindered, leading to pernicious anemia .

Fresh green leafy vegetables, bananas, oranges, etc. are rich in folic acid and can be consumed appropriately.

4. Fermented soy products to supplement vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 can promote the absorption of folic acid. It is recommended to eat foods rich in vitamin B12 while taking folic acid.

Vitamin B12 is mainly found in animal foods , while in plant foods, only soybeans contain it, especially fermented ones such as fermented black beans and natto, which are rich in them.

Finally, I would like to remind everyone: diet can be part of daily nutrient supplementation, but it cannot replace medicine . If you do have diseases such as osteoporosis, it is recommended to take medication as prescribed by a doctor .

Review | Li Nannan Director of the Hunan Science Writers Association Deputy Director of the Research and Publicity Department of the Hunan Science and Technology Association Second-level Researcher Chinese Science Expert (Medical Field)

Source: I am a great doctor official account