When it comes to calcium supplementation, people often think that it is something for the elderly or children, who need extra calcium supplementation because of the occurrence of osteoporosis, and children who need calcium supplementation because of insufficient calcium intake or vitamin D deficiency causing rickets. In fact, attention should be paid to calcium intake throughout a person’s life, and in the case of insufficient calcium intake (dietary preferences, chronic gastrointestinal diseases, etc.) attention should be paid to calcium supplementation. Studies have shown that the amount of bone mass and the hardness of a person’s bones depend on the accumulation of bone salts during adolescence. At the age of 30-40, the content of calcium salts in human bone reaches a peak, called peak bone, and in the following years, the content will be gradually lost under the action of various factors such as endocrine and metabolism, and osteoporosis will appear in serious cases. Calcium supplementation in the elderly can only delay but not prevent bone loss, in addition to the limited role of calcium supplementation in increasing bone density. Therefore, prevention of osteoporosis should start at an early age. We should eat more calcium-rich milk and dairy products, meat, beans and seafood (fish pine, kelp, shrimp, etc.) and engage in more physical work or physical exercise to help deposit calcium in the bones and improve bone density. For women during pregnancy and lactation, because a large amount of calcium is transferred to the fetus or infant through the placenta or breast milk, the calcium consumption in the body is larger, so in addition to supplementation through diet, additional supplementation through special calcium supplements is often required. In short, calcium supplementation should be given attention in early childhood, so that the peak bone volume reaches a high level during adolescence, and the “family base” is thicker, so that it can comfortably cope with future consumption and avoid or delay osteoporosis in middle and old age. Now, in addition to food, how should we choose calcium preparations reasonably? Calcium preparations have undergone three generations of development. The first generation of calcium preparations are made of inorganic salts such as bone, shells and ores, such as: animal fresh bone, pearl powder, shells, eggshells, chemically synthesized calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, active calcium, etc. These calcium preparations are easy to form gelatinous deposits in the alkaline environment of the intestine, which are not easily absorbed and are prone to gastrointestinal discomfort, constipation, diarrhea and other adverse reactions; the second generation of calcium preparations are organic acid calcium, including calcium gluconate, calcium acetate, calcium The second generation of calcium preparations are organic acid calcium, including calcium gluconate, calcium acetate, calcium citrate, calcium lactate, etc. Although these calcium preparations have been improved compared with the first generation of calcium preparations, the calcium content is generally lower and there are certain adverse reactions; the third generation of calcium preparations are calcium L-threonate and calcium amino acids, which are easily dissolved and absorbed in the intestine and have fewer adverse reactions. Some calcium preparations include vitamin D3 or active vitamin D3, which helps the absorption of calcium in the intestinal tract. In addition, milk calcium extracted from milk is also an ideal source of calcium if the process is standardized and quality assured. There are many kinds of calcium preparations on the market, and the main criteria for selection are the degree of dissolution and absorption in the intestine, the amount of calcium content, and the size of the gastrointestinal tract reaction, and it is generally not difficult to make a choice according to the above classification, and then according to one’s economic level. Some calcium preparations often contain a certain amount of vitamin D3, indeed, vitamin D3 has an important role in calcium metabolism, it can promote intestinal calcium and phosphorus absorption, increase the renal tubular reabsorption of calcium and reduce the loss of calcium through the urine, but if long-term use of preparations with high vitamin D3 content may cause high blood calcium, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, soft tissue ectopic ossification, impaired kidney function and other symptoms of vitamin D toxicity. symptoms of vitamin D toxicity. Therefore, when taking such compounded preparations, they should be taken under the guidance of a doctor. There are also patients who take calcium preparations containing vitamin D along with vitamin AD capsules or other vitamin D preparations, which are more likely to lead to vitamin D overdose poisoning and should not be taken carelessly. Doctors have long cautioned patients with kidney stones to limit their calcium intake. Indeed, 80% of kidney stones are calcium, and it has also been seen clinically that some patients with hyperparathyroidism, under the action of parathyroid hormone, have increased blood calcium levels and a significantly higher incidence of urinary tract stones. So does calcium supplementation in normal people increase the risk of urinary tract stones? The results were just the opposite. A four-year follow-up study of 45,510 men without kidney stones conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that those on a high-calcium diet (average intake of 1,326 mg of calcium per day) had a one-third less chance of developing kidney stones than those on a low-calcium diet (516 mg of calcium per day). The same conclusion has been confirmed by several other studies. In fact, stones are not caused by too much calcium, but by a disruption of calcium metabolism in the body, resulting in an abnormal “calcium shift”, when bone calcium decreases and calcium in the blood and soft tissues increases, which over time can lead to stones. Proper calcium supplementation increases the amount of calcium absorbed by the body, stimulates the self-stabilizing system of blood calcium, and inhibits the excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone, which ultimately reduces the calcium content in the blood and soft tissues, reduces the occurrence of stones, and reduces the loss of bone calcium. However, it should not be simply assumed that “the more calcium you take, the better”, as exceeding a certain dose can also cause a series of adverse effects such as hypercalcemia. What time of day should I choose to take calcium supplements? The best time to take calcium supplements is just before bedtime. During the daytime, the body can take 300-400 mg of calcium in three meals, and even if part of the calcium is excreted through urine, it can be quickly replenished from food to maintain the stability of blood calcium. However, at night, the body no longer eats, and calcium will be excreted through urine as usual, the lost calcium cannot be replenished from food in time, it will use the calcium in bones to maintain the stability of blood calcium, if a certain amount of calcium supplements are taken before bedtime, it can reduce the use of bone calcium at night, which is conducive to the stability of calcium in bones, and avoid or delay the occurrence of osteoporosis.