About calcium supplementation, in fact, there are many problems, but they are ignored by parents, thinking that to give children calcium tablets, drink milk, children must not be deficient in calcium, in fact, there are many kinds of calcium supplements on the market, some calcium is not easy to be absorbed, although the calcium content is large, but the actual body does not absorb much, not only calcium is not replenished, but also stimulates the gastrointestinal tract. Calcium supplementation is not right, which is equivalent to spending money in vain!
Why do many calcium supplements come with vitamin D, vitamin A, or magnesium?
Vitamin D: Vitamin D has two benefits for calcium supplementation, one is to increase the absorption of calcium in the small intestine, and the other is to promote bone growth. For the absorption of calcium, vitamin D can stimulate the production of calciumin, has the effect of introducing calcium into the bone, can allow calcium to enter the bone, promote bone growth, and can also promote the storage of calcium in the body.
Vitamin A: In some imported products, calcium supplements add some cod liver oil, which is why vitamin A appears in calcium supplements. Vitamin A is not directly related to calcium, which is mainly responsible for maintaining the growth and texture of the skin and eyes.
Magnesium: Calcium and magnesium are abundant in the bones, when magnesium is lacking, calcium is easy to accumulate in soft tissues, the most common is to cause kidney calcification.
Generally, calcium supplements containing magnesium, the calcium-magnesium ratio is 2:1, which is also the closest to the body's calcium-magnesium ratio. It is better for absorption and storage. When the ratio of calcium to magnesium is greater than 5:1, it is easy to put the body in a state of hyperactivity, and sleep will also be affected.
Which calcium supplement to choose?
There are so many calcium supplements on the market, let's talk about the difference between various calcium preparations.
First of all, calcium preparations can be simply summarized as (inorganic calcium) and (organic calcium) two. In general, the absorption and utilization rate of organic calcium is higher than that of inorganic calcium.
Common inorganic calcium, such as calcium carbonate: This is the most common calcium supplement, and its advantage is that it is cheap and has a high calcium content of the same weight.
There are many disadvantages, such as not adding other ingredients that help calcium absorption, and consuming a lot of stomach acid to make itself absorbed, which is easy to cause gastrointestinal discomfort. It is generally not recommended for children and the elderly, and only recommended for healthy adults to prevent calcium deficiency. Such calcium supplements do not specifically say which situation is needed.
Special inorganic calcium, such as calcium hydroxyphosphate: This calcium is not very common, and this form is mostly used in imported inorganic calcium supplements. This form is similar to the human bone structure, with an appropriate proportion of calcium and phosphorus, and generally contains a certain amount of magnesium to help calcium be metabolized smoothly. As mentioned earlier, the ratio of calcium to magnesium is 2:1, and this form of calcium supplementation can generally be achieved.
This substance also requires the intervention of stomach acid to help metabolize, but the demand is not large, especially in powder form. Therefore, all people can take this calcium supplement, unless there is a significant gastrointestinal discomfort or insufficient stomach acid.
This supplement is more effective at bone growth and slowing bone loss than other calcium supplements. The disadvantage of this calcium supplement is that the absorption rate and effect on the intestines are not as effective as organic calcium.
Active calcium, such as calcium citrate, calcium gluconate: the absorption rate of this is the highest. At the same time, calcium citrate is water-soluble, which can create a good intestinal environment for the absorption of other nutrients.
This active calcium does not require the intervention of stomach acid to make calcium directly into calcium ions that can be absorbed, so the burden on the stomach and intestines is small. Suitable for people with gastroenteritis and enteritis.
This active calcium has a good effect on people with low blood calcium because of the fast rate of absorption. The disadvantage of this active calcium is that the calcium content is low within the fixed weight, so the price will be more expensive.
Amino acid chelated calcium, calcium glycinate: The advantage of this calcium supplement is the form of chemical binding. Amino acids and calcium are both needed by the body. Because amino acids are large and calcium is small, these calcium molecules are absorbed by the body in the form of amino acids, after which calcium ions are separated.
Since the body itself consumes a certain amount of protein at every meal, the advantage of this supplement is that calcium is directly absorbed in the process of absorbing normal nutrients (amino acids) in the body. Unlike other products, we want the body to absorb calcium directly, others are not important.
This absorption method has minimal stress on the body and is also a form that is often recommended. This form of calcium supplement is the most expensive of the above four, and the dose of calcium is relatively low. However, because the absorption rate is high and the burden on the stomach and intestines is small, it also raises some other nutrients. It is recommended for small children. At the same time, people who supplement calcium for a long time also recommend the use of amino acid chelated calcium, which has no obvious pressure on the body, and all the substances in it are needed by the human body.
What happens when I supplement too much calcium?
Although calcium is one of the most important nutrients in the human body, it is not enough to supplement in excess. Excess calcium, especially when disproportionate to magnesium intake, can cause some soft tissue calcifications, most commonly in the kidneys. At the same time, excessive calcium intake can cause adverse absorption of other nutrients, resulting in other nutrients entering a state of deficiency. At the same time, excessive calcium intake caused by calcium and magnesium imbalance will also lead to calcium loss, which is also unfavorable to the human body.
Precautions for calcium supplementation:
When do you need to make up
For infants and young children, it is recommended not to blindly supplement, it is recommended to listen to the advice of professionals.
For children (especially older) and the elderly, calcium supplementation is recommended. Since the stomach acid of the elderly and children is not necessarily sufficient, it is recommended not to use the most common ordinary inorganic calcium (such as calcium carbonate) to supplement calcium during this time.
For healthy people, if there are some specific symptoms, it is recommended to supplement calcium.
What situations need to be remedied
For infants and young children, babies who do not eat breast milk need to be careful about calcium deficiency. At the same time, if the mother's diet is insufficient in calcium, it needs to be supplemented.
Infants and young children have a specific calcium supplement is milk calcium, in this case it is recommended to choose raw materials from high-quality milk, while paying attention to whether there is milk slow sensitivity.
For adults, lack of energy, poor sleep, and muscle cramps are some of the common symptoms of calcium deficiency. However, these problems may also represent other nutritional deficiencies or clinical diseases, so it is best to consult a professional for specific problems.
What is the calcium reserve
Calcium reserves have many meanings, such as bone calcium content and bone calcium reserves at age. Bone calcium content is involved in the front, and then we will talk about the relationship between age and calcium reserves.
From the perspective of the growth law of the human body, the bone calcium content of the human body is the lowest at birth. As the bones grow they increase rapidly until they enter a period of slow growth around the age of 20.
After reaching its peak at the age of 30 or so, it enters a period of stagnation, and the bone calcium content of normal people will not change much until the age of 50.
From the age of 50, the bone calcium content will slowly decay, and the older the age, the faster the decay. Osteoporosis and bone density problems both arise when bone calcium levels are below a certain value.
If we push it backwards, if we make the bone calcium content in our body reach higher than others at the age of 30, then the probability of osteoporosis after us is naturally low.
At the same time, it was said that bone density will not change much between the ages of 30 and 50, but this is said for the average healthy person. Some people may have an unhealthy lifestyle and diet that leads to insufficient calcium intake or excessive calcium consumption, leading to the body performing osteoclastic function - breaking down calcium in the bones to meet the requirements of blood calcium. This chronic problem, if persisted, can lead to premature depletion of bone calcium.
Therefore, from this point of view, eating more high-calcium products, such as milk, soy products, sesame paste, crustacean seafood, etc., is helpful for increasing calcium reserves. But for people with sub-health status, calcium consumption may be too large to cause insufficient nutrients in foods to supplement. At this time, some calcium supplements are needed.
summary:
Among the many calcium supplements described earlier, amino acid chelated calcium and calcium hydroxyphosphate, special calcium supplements, are the most suitable for long-term use. As for calcium citrate, it is also very good in some cases, especially if you need to increase the blood calcium content in a short period of time, some specific doses of calcium citrate can also be taken for a long time.
Calcium carbonate is no problem for the average healthy person, the price is low, the content is high (so the particles are small). But calcium carbonate will stimulate the intestines and reduce stomach acid, and there are many people who lack stomach acid in modern people. Therefore, this article does not recommend the use of calcium carbonate, a common inorganic calcium, as a daily calcium supplement.