Why do you still lack calcium after years of calcium supplementation? How should I take the right calcium supplement? The occurrence of osteoporosis is closely related to bone calcium loss, age and gender. The prevalence of osteoporosis is higher in middle-aged and elderly people in China, especially in postmenopausal women. When osteoporosis occurs, there is a large loss of bone minerals, and although the bones have the same appearance as normal, they become thinner, hollow and loose, and therefore brittle. The loose bones lose their supporting function and are unable to bear the weight of daily life, which increases the probability of fracture. In order to combat osteoporosis, it is necessary to replenish the large amount of lost bone minerals, the most important being calcium. The purpose of calcium supplementation is not only to increase the blood calcium concentration, but also to deposit calcium in the blood on the bones, filling the pores that have formed and strengthening the supporting function of the bones. A common problem often encountered in calcium supplementation therapy is that some people who have been taking calcium supplements for several years still have a calcium deficiency, and when the bone density is checked the doctor still says that they have osteoporosis. Why is this? This problem should be understood from the following aspects. 1, the dose of calcium supplementation is small The intake of calcium elements to prevent osteoporosis should reach 1000-1500 mg per day. At present, most of the calcium preparations produced in China are labeled with the dose according to the amount of calcium salt, which differs greatly from the calcium content. For example, calcium lactate contains only 1 gram of calcium per 8 grams. The dose of calcium must be made up according to the amount of calcium content. For example, the calcium content of the commonly used Gaitian Li and Calcium Vitality tablets is 25 mg, which means that if the dietary calcium supplementation reaches 600 mg per day, at least 24 tablets of Gaitian Li and Calcium Vitality (600 mg) per day are needed to meet the needs of the elderly and osteoporosis patients. The same principle applies to other calcium supplements, which are based on the manufacturer’s calcium content, not the amount of calcium salts, which is generally 600 mg per day. If the dose is small, of course, you will not receive the effect of calcium supplementation. 2, calcium and phosphorus ratio is out of balance The ratio of phosphorus to calcium in the bone is 0.6, the calcium and phosphorus ratio is not appropriate, it will affect the absorption and utilization of calcium. In particular, the lack of phosphorus will lead to a reduction in bone mass. Inadequate intake in the elderly due to reduced intake, combined with fear of phosphorus-rich foods such as fish, meat and eggs, does not significantly increase calcium deposition due to the lack of adequate phosphorus, despite adequate calcium supplementation. The reason why fresh milk is beneficial to osteoporosis is that the milk has the right ratio of calcium to phosphorus, which can achieve the effect of calcium and phosphorus double supplementation. 3, improper food composition If you take too much food containing phytic acid, oxalic acid, tannic acid (such as spinach, etc.) and food containing fatty acids (mainly lard and fatty meat) while supplementing calcium, it will combine with calcium and reduce the absorption of calcium. In addition, some high-quality proteins (such as beef, fish, seafood, lean pork, etc.), the amino acids released during intestinal digestion, can reduce intestinal acidity and form calcium salts that are not easily absorbed with calcium, which can also reduce the absorption of calcium. So while supplementing calcium, it is important to avoid the interaction and influence of food components to reduce the loss of calcium. 4, the influence of hormones There are a variety of hormones can promote intestinal calcium absorption, the most important is the active vitamin D. Active vitamin D levels in the elderly is low, affecting the absorption and utilization of calcium. Calcium supplementation should be accompanied by active vitamin D. Other hormones that promote intestinal calcium absorption are: estrogen, androgen, growth hormone, calcitonin, etc. Of course, hormone supplementation must be carried out under the guidance of an experienced doctor. 5. Reduced outdoor exercise Too little activity can lead to osteoporosis or accelerate the occurrence of osteoporosis. If you insist on outdoor exercise and receive daily sunlight, you can even skip taking active vitamin D .