The troubles caused by calcium deficiency are not limited to bone pain or leg cramps. Issues like lack of concentration, anemia, and declining vision can also be related to a calcium deficiency in certain parts of your body. Sometimes, a calcium deficiency isn't due to a lack of calcium, but rather because calcium isn't reaching the parts of your body that truly need it. To effectively supplement calcium, you need to not only consume enough but also understand which type of calcium you are deficient in.
The dangers of calcium deficiency:
1. A lack of "brain calcium" can easily lead to insomnia
Why do you get restless over small things, while others remain calm? Calcium is an essential substance for the metabolism of brain neurons. Sufficient calcium can effectively inhibit the excitability of brain nerves, preventing abnormal nerve excitement that causes symptoms like insomnia and excessive dreaming. For every 1% decrease in calcium content in brain neurons, mental excitability increases by 10%. In the midst of busy work and a stressful life, a slight deficiency in "brain calcium" might be a good thing, but if this becomes a daily occurrence, insomnia, forgetfulness, and even depression can set in early! The best foods for supplementing "brain calcium" are legumes, such as soybeans, tofu, and dried tofu.
2. A lack of "fat calcium" can lead to "getting fatter while trying to lose weight"
While women strive for a better figure through excessive dieting, they might unintentionally miss out on many high-calcium foods, which is why some people get fatter while trying to lose weight. In fact, calcium has the effect of suppressing "fat-storing hormones." The level of calcium determines whether the energy in your body is burned and released or stored as fat. This means that during your diet, you are not consuming the calcium that "inhibits fat," making it difficult for fat to be burned.
A high-calcium diet can increase the rate of fat metabolism by 1.4 times. Lactate calcium is most helpful for fat metabolism, making milk a good choice. In reality, calcium metabolism and human fat metabolism are mutually supportive. Insufficient intake of unsaturated fatty acids can also reduce the body's ability to absorb calcium. Calcium is your secret to losing weight, so don't give up good food only to fail in your weight loss efforts.
3. A lack of "digestive calcium" can lead to being "all skin and bones"
Calcium can activate digestive enzymes in your body, such as lipase and amylase. If there is insufficient calcium in your digestive system, your appetite will decrease, you will feel less hungry, and you will often feel tired.
What foods can help supplement calcium?
Vegetables
Vegetables not only contain large amounts of potassium and magnesium, which help maintain acid-base balance and reduce calcium loss, but they also contain a fair amount of calcium themselves. Leafy green vegetables are generally moderate sources of calcium, such as rape, bok choy, kale, and celery, and they should not be overlooked as calcium-supplementing vegetables. Recent research has confirmed that vitamin K in leafy green vegetables is a key component in the formation of osteocalcin, which is essential for depositing calcium into bones.
Milk
Half a pound of milk contains 300 milligrams of calcium. The various amino acids, lactic acid, minerals, and vitamins in milk also promote the digestion and absorption of calcium. Unlike meat, milk is not an acidic food but a weakly alkaline one. Therefore, milk does not make the body's fluids more acidic, nor does it promote calcium loss. Overall, milk is still the best food for supplementing calcium.
Sesame
Sesame paste is an excellent source of calcium, with a calcium content comparable to cheese. Sesame seeds themselves have hard shells, leading to a low digestion rate for their nutrients, but this is greatly improved when ground into sesame paste. Sesame paste is delicious and tasty. Eating a large tablespoon (about 25 grams) of sesame paste can provide about 200 milligrams of calcium, which is a significant effect. In addition to a large amount of calcium, sesame paste also provides very rich potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and other minerals, large amounts of vitamin E, vitamin B1, niacin, as well as protein and monounsaturated fatty acids.