If you don’t want your bones to become more and more brittle, eat less of these two types of food!

This article was reviewed by Ao Rongguang, MD, Master's tutor, deputy chief physician of orthopedics at Shanghai Pudong Hospital, and head of the key subspecialty of osteoporotic fractures in Pudong New Area

In daily life

There are two types of food

May damage bones

If you don't want your bones to become brittle

We must eat as little as possible

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pickle

Many people like to eat steamed buns with pickles. Pickles contain a lot of salt. When the sodium ions in our body exceed the standard, they will carry calcium ions out of the body.

Eating pickles frequently will cause the loss of calcium in the body. Over time, it will threaten bone health, so try to eat less pickles.

Fatty meat

Fatty meat contains a lot of fat. If you consume too much and lack exercise, it will cause excess calorie intake and increased cholesterol content, which may affect calcium absorption and be detrimental to bone health.

If bone density continues to decrease, over time it will lead to weakened bone strength, increased brittleness, and in severe cases, fractures may occur.

Osteoporosis usually has no obvious clinical manifestations in the early stages, so it is called a "silent disease" or "silent epidemic." However, as the disease progresses, bone mass continues to be lost, bone microstructure is destroyed, and patients will experience bone pain, spinal deformity, and even osteoporotic fractures. Some patients may have no clinical symptoms and are only diagnosed with osteoporosis after serious complications such as osteoporotic fractures occur.

For the elderly, to prevent osteoporosis, the first thing to do is to insist on outdoor exercise and get more sun exposure. In terms of diet, you can eat more calcium-rich foods such as milk/dairy products, soy products, green leafy vegetables, etc. In addition, you should have regular physical examinations to help detect problems earlier.

Different groups of people should choose different calcium supplements!

First of all, I would like to emphasize that when calcium is deficient, the first thing to consider is "food supplementation". A reasonable and balanced diet is the first choice and basis for calcium supplementation. For those who cannot get enough calcium from food, you can consider using calcium supplement products.

Many people try to save time when choosing calcium supplements and let the whole family take the same calcium supplement.

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In fact, the dosage form, dosage and process of calcium supplement products will be different for different ages and reasons for calcium supplementation. The appropriate calcium supplement should be selected in a targeted manner according to the physiological characteristics of the population.

So, how should different groups of people supplement calcium? What should they pay attention to?

01

Infants and young children

Usually within 6 months

No calcium supplement required

Normal full-term newborns generally do not need calcium supplements within 6 months. If due to special circumstances, calcium supplements are required under the guidance of a doctor.

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Babies should choose calcium supplements suitable for babies and should not take adult calcium supplements.

02

child

It is best to choose sugar-free calcium supplements

Prevent tooth decay

Adequate calcium supplementation is beneficial to the growth and development of children's bones, avoids bone changes and deformities caused by calcium deficiency, and can also prevent or delay the occurrence of osteoporosis in adulthood.

When choosing calcium for children, it is important to consider the dosage form, taste and ingredients. You can choose chewable tablets so that they can chew and eat by themselves, which can also exercise their chewing function. The younger they are, the more picky they are about taste, so a good calcium supplement must be suitable for children's taste, so that children are willing to eat it and parents can feed it.

It is not recommended that calcium supplements contain too much sugar, and it is best to have no sugar ingredients to avoid increasing the risk of children suffering from dental caries. The vitamin D contained in some calcium supplements can promote calcium absorption and enhance the effect of calcium supplementation.

Children are not smaller versions of adults and cannot take adult calcium supplements. Children need to use calcium supplements specifically for children to supplement calcium.

Generally speaking, the calcium content in adult calcium supplements is generally high, the dosage form is relatively simple, usually tablets, and the taste is less considered. Therefore, adult calcium cannot be blindly used for children, especially younger children.

03

Pregnant women

Calcium supplements containing sorbitol

Helps relieve constipation

How are the calcium needs of pregnant and lactating women different from those of other groups?

Pregnant women need to provide a lot of calcium to the fetus during pregnancy. The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that pregnant women start taking 1000 mg of calcium per day from the 16th week of pregnancy. If there is no additional calcium supplement during pregnancy, the fetus will "selfishly" snatch the calcium from the pregnant woman, affecting the health of the pregnant mother and the baby.

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Some pregnant women will suffer from constipation during pregnancy for many reasons, such as: too fine food, less water intake, less exercise, bad bowel habits, etc. In this regard, experts say that pregnant women can choose calcium supplements containing sorbitol to help relieve constipation. In addition, choosing chewable calcium supplements with good taste will also improve the continued feasibility of calcium supplementation for pregnant women.

04

Middle-aged and elderly people

Select Add

Vitamin D and K and calcium prevent osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a bone disease associated with aging. The prevalence rate among people over 60 years old in my country has increased significantly. Osteoporosis has increasingly become an important public health issue facing my country.

In addition to the decline in hormone levels caused by age, insufficient intake of calcium and vitamin D also affects bone metabolism to a certain extent. An appropriate amount of calcium combined with active vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 can effectively supplement calcium and prevent bone loss. It can also improve muscle balance, reduce the risk of falls, and reduce the incidence of fractures.

Pay attention to these points when supplementing calcium!

The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that Chinese residents take in the following calcium in their daily diet:

● 800 mg/day for adults;

● Adolescents during puberty: 1000-1200 mg/day;

● The daily dose for women in mid- to late-pregnancy, breastfeeding women, and elderly people over 50 years old is 1000 mg/day.

However, many people do not meet the recommended calcium intake.

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The dietary structure in our country is mainly plant-based (such as rice and pasta). Many people do not have the habit of drinking milk, which leads to a greater need for calcium supplementation.

Sensitive groups (adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, and middle-aged and elderly people over 50 years old, especially women who have reached menopause) can use calcium supplements appropriately if they cannot ensure that they consume 300 ml or more of milk or equivalent amount of dairy products in their daily diet.

When different groups of people choose exclusive calcium supplements, the following two points should be remembered:

Calcium supplementation after dinner is effective

Generally speaking, taking calcium supplements after dinner is the best time for the human body to supplement calcium. According to the normal regulation of hormone secretion, the human body's calcium absorption rate is highest at night.

Beware of overdose

Calcium supplements can quickly replenish calcium, but taking too much may cause side effects of excessive intake. Therefore, you should choose the right amount of calcium according to your actual situation.

Finally, another appeal

A reasonable and balanced diet is the basis for ensuring calcium nutrition. People who cannot get enough calcium from food, such as infants, pregnant women and the elderly, should choose appropriate calcium supplements according to their own physiological characteristics.

You can't use one bottle of calcium to supplement the whole family. Calcium supplementation should be differentiated according to the different groups of people and special calcium tablets should be selected to supplement calcium scientifically.

Source: Science Popularization China WeChat Official Account

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