Sneezing can cause lumbar fracture! Don’t just drink milk to supplement calcium, there are 7 kinds of vegetables with higher calcium content than milk!

Recently, Ms. Ding, who is over 70 years old, from Zhengzhou, Henan, just sneezed and then felt back pain. She thought it was a stitch in the side and applied a plaster. But it didn't get better after many days, so she went to the hospital for a checkup and found that she had a lumbar fracture. #A woman sneezed and fractured her lumbar spine without knowing it#

▲Photo: Screenshot from Weibo

Such news has been very common in the past two years. According to the results of the China Osteoporosis Epidemiological Survey, there are a large number of people with low bone mass in China, and the low bone mass rate among people over 50 years old is 46.4%. And osteoporosis is not exclusive to the elderly, young people should also pay attention.

When it comes to preventing osteoporosis, many people first think of calcium supplementation. After all, calcium is an important component of human bones and is also the key to preventing osteoporosis. The Chinese Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults take 800 mg of calcium per day, but the current situation of calcium deficiency in my country is quite serious: [1]

The survey showed that among the 1,716 people surveyed, the total dietary calcium intake was 351.4 (203.6, 566.9) mg/d, with an average of 467.1 mg/d; the calcium intake from food (excluding dietary supplements) was 325.6 (191.7, 497.5) mg/d, with an average of 402.7 mg/d.

Milk and soy products are common sources of calcium supplements.

However, vegetables are also a food that cannot be ignored in order to prevent osteoporosis. The calcium and vitamin K in vegetables play a great role in preventing osteoporosis.

The calcium content of milk is 107mg/100g, but the calcium content of the following 7 leafy vegetables is 1 to 3 times that of milk, and the last one has a higher content! However, when eating certain vegetables, you cannot ignore the "key step" mentioned in the article.

1. Water spinach

Calcium content is comparable to milk

The calcium content of water spinach is 115mg/100g, and the potassium content is rich, which is 304mg/100g. Pay attention to the intake of potassium while supplementing calcium, which can reduce the loss of urinary calcium and achieve better calcium supplementation effect.

As for the rumor that "water spinach is the vegetable that absorbs the most pesticides and heavy metals, and is too dirty to be eaten", it has long been debunked. As long as the vegetables are purchased in regular supermarkets, they have generally been tested for various pesticide residues and heavy metals, and can only be sold if they are within the qualified range.

Moreover, today’s water spinach is no longer grown in stinky mud ditches, but is cultivated in a standardized manner, so there is no need to worry about “water spinach being poisonous” .

2. Chinese cabbage

Calcium content is comparable to milk

The calcium content of milk is 107mg/100g, while the calcium content of Chinese cabbage is 117mg/100g. The two can be said to be comparable to each other.

According to the need for calcium supplementation, drinking 500ml of milk every day can supplement 535mg of calcium. If you eat 300g of Chinese cabbage, the daily calcium requirement will be enough.

Chinese cabbage is not only high in calcium, but also has a vitamin C content of 64 mg/100 g, nearly twice that of Chinese cabbage. Its carotene content is 26.5 times that of Chinese cabbage, which is good for eye health.

3. Chinese kale

The calcium content is 1.2 times that of milk

The calcium content of kale is 121mg/100g, which is slightly more than that of milk, and the oxalic acid content is not high, so it has little effect on the calcium absorption rate.

And the vitamin C content is relatively rich among vegetables, which is 37mg/100g. The potassium content is not low either, reaching 345mg/100g. People with high blood pressure can eat more kale.

4. Rapeseed

The calcium content is 1.38 times that of milk

Rapeseed is a green leafy vegetable high in calcium, with a calcium content of 148mg/100g. And the carotene content is as high as 1083 micrograms/100g, which is beneficial to eye health.

In addition, rapeseed is common in daily life, affordable, and easy to cook. For example, making rapeseed soup, stir-fried rapeseed, rapeseed with garlic, etc. are all simple and save time.

5. Fennel

The calcium content is 1.5 times that of milk

The calcium content of fennel is 154mg/100g. As a kind of dark green vegetable, the beta-carotene content of fennel is also a big advantage, which is as high as 2410 micrograms/100g, which is half of that of carrots. It can be converted into vitamin A in the body, which is beneficial to eye health.

Fennel has a unique flavor and is a favorite of many people. It is also very good for making dumplings.

6. Purple Amaranth

The calcium content is 1.7 times that of milk

The calcium content of purple amaranth is 178 mg/100 g, while that of green amaranth is slightly higher, at 187 mg/100 g. However, amaranth contains oxalic acid, so it is recommended to blanch it before eating to remove the oxalic acid.

The red color of amaranth comes from amaranth, which is a type of betacyanin and a natural pigment . Many people may think that it has antioxidant effects based on its color, but in fact, it does not have the same antioxidant effect as anthocyanins .

Betacyanin is easily soluble in water. If a large amount is ingested at one time, the human body cannot absorb it and will be excreted in urine and feces.

7. Carrot tops (red)

The calcium content is 3.5 times that of milk

Carrot tops look inconspicuous and many people throw them away, but they contain 350mg/100g of calcium and are rich in vitamin C (41mg/100g), which is comparable to the vitamin C content of oranges (35mg/100g).

Carrot tops are high in iron among vegetables (8.1mg/100g), and their iron content is more than five times that of pork tenderloin.

However, considering the absorption rate, carrot tops are not a recommended choice for iron supplementation . After all, relying on vegetables to supplement iron is unreliable. The absorption rate of non-heme iron is low. It is still okay to rely on it to supplement calcium.

The key step (blanching)

For vegetables with high oxalic acid content, such as water spinach, spinach, amaranth, and horseradish, they must be blanched before eating, otherwise it will affect the absorption and utilization of minerals and also reduce the absorption and utilization rate of calcium.

How to blanch vegetables: Put enough water in the pot to cover the vegetables. After the water boils, add the washed green leafy vegetables and blanch them for about 15 seconds. After blanching, immediately put them in cold water to cool down.

In addition, vitamin K in vegetables is also helpful in preventing osteoporosis.

Vitamin K is actually commonly divided into three different forms: vitamin K1, vitamin K2, and vitamin K3. What we consume in our diet is mainly vitamin K1, what is synthesized by intestinal flora is mainly vitamin K2, and what is artificially synthesized is vitamin K3.

Vitamin K can promote calcium deposition in bones and promote bone health. In addition, vitamin K2 has the most significant regulatory effect on bones, promoting osteoblasts and inhibiting osteoclasts, and has a significant effect on preventing fractures [2].

Vegetables contain vitamin K1, which can be converted into vitamin K2 under the action of human intestinal flora after ingestion, which can further promote bone health.

Foods rich in vitamin K include beans, green leafy vegetables, animal foods, and fish. For example, kale (440 micrograms/100 grams), spinach (482.9 micrograms/100 grams), cabbage (145 micrograms/100 grams), pork liver, eggs, etc. [3]

▲Charts are based on: USDA and Modern Clinical Nutrition

To summarize:

When it comes to calcium supplementation, don’t just think about milk and calcium tablets. You should also pay attention to the intake of vegetables, especially leafy vegetables, which can not only supplement calcium but also supplement vitamin K, which is beneficial for preventing osteoporosis.

As long as you eat about 300g of leafy vegetables and drink 300-500ml of milk every day, and add some soy products, you can easily meet the daily calcium requirement. In addition, you should also pay attention to: insist on outdoor exercise for more than half an hour every day, supplement vitamin D (10 micrograms/day) to promote calcium absorption.

References:

[1] Wang Meichen, Zhao Ai, Situ Wenyou, et al. Study on calcium intake of adults in eight cities in China[J]. Acta Nutrimenta Sinica, 2017, 039(004):332-336.

[2] Yang Yuexin, Ge Keyou. Chinese Nutrition Science Encyclopedia 2nd Edition (Volume 1)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2019.199

[3] Gu Jingfan, Du Shouyin, Guo Changjiang. Modern Clinical Nutrition, 2nd Edition[M]. Science and Technology Press, 2009.137

[4] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Nutrition Composition Table 6th Edition. Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press: Beijing, 2019.