Many people have experienced leg cramps while sleeping, right? The pain is unbearable! Why do you get leg cramps? What to eat for leg cramps? Here’s what you need to know!
There are many factors that cause leg cramps, so here is a list of them.
1, lack of calcium
Calcium plays a very important role in the human body. The lack of calcium ions in the process of muscle contraction will lead to muscle excitement and thus cramps. The leg cramps caused by calcium deficiency are mostly seen in teenagers.
2, cold stimulation
If the outside environment is too cold, then the muscles in the body will be stimulated by the cold, for example, the winter night indoor temperature is low, then if the covers are thin or legs and feet exposed for a long time, then it is also easy to appear leg cramps.
3, sleep posture is not good
Sleeping posture is not good, such as a long time supine, or prone, these positions will lead to a long time in the calf muscle to maintain an absolute relaxed state, causing muscle “passive contracture”, so there is leg cramps.
4, the body estrogen decline
As we age, estrogen in the body declines, osteoporosis occurs, blood calcium levels are too low, muscle stress increases, resulting in leg cramps occurring from time to time.
5, excessive fatigue
The body is too tired, not enough sleep, or usually sleep too long, but also easy to cause muscle cramps. Walking or exercising for too long, easy to make lactic acid accumulation; sleep too long, the body’s blood circulation will slow down, carbon dioxide will accumulate in the body, so that there will also be foot cramps.
What is the best way to eat for leg cramps?
So, how to do with frequent leg cramps? In fact, dietary supplements is a good way to eat more calcium, magnesium-containing food can prevent cramps.
1, eat more calcium-containing food
The first category: milk. Each 100 grams of milk contains the following nutrients: heat (54.00 kcal), protein (3.00 grams), fat (3.20 grams), carbohydrates (3.40 grams), vitamin A (24.00 micrograms), calcium (104.00 mg), etc., containing many minerals. And milk is the best source of calcium for the human body, and the calcium-phosphorus ratio is very appropriate for the absorption of calcium. There are at least 100 different kinds of milk, with water, fat, phospholipids, protein, lactose and inorganic salts as the main ingredients.
Tip: For pregnant women as well as the elderly, milk is a good choice.
The second category: soy products. Soy products are processed foods made from soybeans, pinto beans, mung beans, peas, broad beans and other legumes as the main raw material. Most soybean products are made from soybean milk solidified surface into tofu and its re-products. The nutrition of soy products is mainly reflected in their rich protein content. Soy products contain essential amino acids similar to animal proteins, and also contain calcium, phosphorus, iron and other minerals needed by the human body, and importantly, soy products do not contain cholesterol.
Tip: Not only can beans be made into soup, but they can also be processed (e.g. soybeans are processed into soy milk, tofu, tofu skin; black beans are processed and turned into tempeh, soy sauce and other delicious condiments).
Category 3: Meat and eggs. Meat is almost universally the most beloved food. The protein content of meat is between 10% and 20%, and the proteins in meat foods are complete proteins that provide all the kinds of amino acids the body needs to promote calcium absorption. The nutrients in egg whites are mainly protein, while egg yolks contain more nutrients than egg whites, and inorganic salts such as calcium, phosphorus and iron are mostly concentrated in egg yolks.
Tips: Meat and eggs are common foods in our lives, and we should eat more of them to help our bodies.
Fourth category: seafood category. Such as seaweed, it is a vegetable with high nutritional value, compared with spinach and rape, in addition to vitamin C, its protein, sugar, calcium and iron content are several times or dozens of times higher. There is also shrimp skin, shrimp skin is rich in protein and minerals, especially the calcium content is extremely rich, there is a “calcium bank” called, is a calcium deficiency of calcium better way to supplement the calcium.
Tips: easy to seafood allergies, as well as high uric acid, gout people, should be careful to pay attention to some.
2, magnesium food
Magnesium-rich foods are: cereals, beans, green vegetables, egg yolk, fish, beef, pork, river food, peanuts, sesame, bananas, etc.. Cereals are buckwheat noodles, millet, corn, sorghum noodles, etc.; beans are soybeans, black beans, broad beans, peas, cowpeas, tofu, etc.; vegetables are mustard, winter vegetables, amaranth, snow peas, etc..
Especially purple cabbage contains the highest magnesium, 460 mg per 100 grams, known as “the treasure house of magnesium”. Magnesium deficiency can lead to muscle weakness, endurance is reduced. At the same time, magnesium also has an important protective effect on cardiovascular health. Human body if magnesium deficiency, can lead to tachycardia, arrhythmia and myocardial necrosis and calcification.
3, containing vitamin food
It is advisable to eat vitamin and mineral-rich food.
If you also have leg cramps, try the above foods!