Children grow fastest in the spring, and parents naturally try every means to provide the essential element for growth—calcium. You often see experienced moms sharing tips online: "Add a few drops of vinegar to the bone broth. This helps the calcium in the bones dissolve into the broth, increasing calcium intake." Is this really true?
A nutritionist states that adding vinegar to bone broth is only for flavoring, and cooking methods cannot cause more calcium to be released from the bones. He explains that the conclusion that vinegar can extract calcium from bones comes from a laboratory setting, where bones are continuously heated in a large amount of vinegar, which allows some calcium to be released. Under normal cooking conditions, the concentration of vinegar is simply not high enough (or in other words, the acidity of the acetic acid in the broth is insufficient to dissolve the calcium in the bones). Therefore, adding a few drops of vinegar to the broth does not allow more calcium to be extracted.
Furthermore, the idea that "bone broth supplements calcium" is a common misconception. In reality, the calcium content in bone broth is minimal, and it also lacks vitamin D, which promotes calcium absorption. It cannot meet the daily requirement of 800 mg of calcium. Someone has calculated that boiling one kilogram of meat bones for two hours yields only 20 mg of calcium in the broth. In contrast, 100 grams of milk contains 104 mg of calcium, and 100 grams of cheese contains 799 mg of calcium, which is far more effective and convenient than drinking bone broth.
Actually, for both adults and children, unless there are obvious symptoms of calcium deficiency, there is no need to randomly supplement with calcium tablets. As long as you eat right, your body's calcium needs can be fully met. During periods of rapid growth and development in children, or for pregnant women, calcium supplements can be taken as needed, while also paying attention to supplementing with vitamin D.
In daily food, there are only three categories of foods that are good for supplementing calcium: The first is dairy products, which are the most effective and safe source of calcium for the human body. The second is legumes and their products, which contain high-quality protein, calcium, and various vitamins. The third is nuts, which contain a certain amount of calcium that can help strengthen bones.