Many people often supplement calcium by taking calcium supplements, but they are not very clear on how to promote calcium absorption in their diet. Moreover, if they are not careful, they might fall into common misconceptions that hinder calcium absorption. Understanding these common misconceptions about calcium supplementation will be very beneficial for your calcium intake through diet.
1. Thinking that eating beef is beneficial for bones
Many people believe that Westerners have strong bones because they love to eat beef. In fact, many people who eat a lot of beef are those who are severely deficient in calcium. This is because beef itself has an extremely low calcium content—all meats are like this. At the same time, meat contains a large amount of "acid-forming elements," mainly phosphorus, sulfur, and chlorine, which make the blood more acidic. The body then has to use calcium ions from food and bones to neutralize these acid-forming elements, thereby increasing the loss of calcium from the body and reducing calcium absorption. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people who are calcium deficient should appropriately control their meat intake, whether it's red meat or white meat.
Beef with Spicy Sauce
2. Thinking that eating vegetables has nothing to do with bone health
Many people prefer animal-based foods but rarely pay attention to supplementing with vegetables. They think that vegetables only contain some dietary fiber and vitamins, which have nothing to do with bone health. In reality, vegetables not only contain large amounts of potassium and magnesium, which can help maintain acid-base balance and reduce calcium loss, but they also contain a fair amount of calcium themselves. Leafy green vegetables are mostly moderate sources of calcium, such as bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, and celery, all of which are calcium-rich vegetables that should not be ignored.
3. Thinking that replacing meals with fruit is beneficial for bone health
Many women who are trying to lose weight believe that they can get enough protein and vitamins just by eating fruit, and often use fruit to replace a meal. In fact, while fruit is a food that helps maintain acid-base balance, it is not a good source of calcium and is severely lacking in protein. Bone formation requires a large amount of calcium, as well as collagen as a framework for calcium deposition. If meals are replaced with fruit, the intake of both protein and calcium will be severely insufficient, which will only promote the occurrence of osteoporosis.
4. Thinking that drinking beverages has nothing to do with calcium supplementation
Most beverages contain phosphates, which severely hinder calcium absorption and promote calcium loss. Cola is the most harmful among them—because it contains phosphoric acid. If you soak human teeth and bones in cola, they will slowly dissolve! The refined sugar in it is also not conducive to calcium absorption. Therefore, anyone who needs to supplement calcium must strictly control their intake of sugary drinks. Tea is rich in potassium ions, has a low phosphorus content, and also contains fluoride, which promotes the strength of bones and teeth. Therefore, drinking tea is beneficial and harmless for bone health.
5. Thinking that drinking bone broth will no longer lead to calcium deficiency
The calcium in bones will never easily dissolve out. Experiments have shown that after being steamed in a pressure cooker for two hours, the fat from the marrow floats to the surface, but the calcium in the broth is still minimal. To supplement calcium with bone broth, there is only one method: add half a bowl of vinegar and simmer it slowly for another one to two hours. Vinegar can effectively help dissolve bone calcium. It should be noted: do not use a pressure cooker at this time; it is best to use a clay pot to avoid dissolving too much aluminum into the bone broth.
6. Thinking that drinking milk is not helpful for calcium supplementation
Although some claim that milk contains a large amount of protein, which will make the body's constitution more acidic and promote calcium loss, this statement is not entirely correct. In fact, the protein content in milk is only 3%, while the water content is as high as 87%. Every 250 grams of milk contains more than 250 milligrams of calcium, as well as rich potassium and magnesium, and also contains vitamin D, lactose, and essential amino acids that promote calcium absorption. Unlike meat, milk is not an acid-forming food, but a weakly alkaline-forming food. Therefore, milk will not make body fluids more acidic, nor will it promote calcium loss. Overall, milk is still the best food for calcium supplementation.
7. Using silken tofu to supplement calcium and believing that soy milk is a high-calcium food
Tofu is the best calcium-supplementing food among plant-based foods. Soybeans themselves contain a fair amount of calcium, and a calcium-containing coagulant is added when solidifying tofu, so people who do not drink milk consciously eat more tofu. However, silken tofu is not a good source of calcium because it does not contain a calcium-based coagulant; instead, it uses glucono-delta-lactone as a coagulant. At the same time, silken tofu has too much water, and its protein and calcium content are very low. In addition to silken tofu, "Japanese tofu" should not be used for calcium supplementation.
In terms of calcium content, soy milk is far inferior to milk. This is because although the calcium content of soybeans is not too low, after being ground with 10 cups of water to make soy milk, the content is greatly diluted. Drinking a glass of soy milk is like eating only a few dozen soybeans, and the calcium in it is very small. The real benefit of soy milk for bones is that it can provide phytoestrogens, which reduce calcium loss in menopausal women.
Spicy beef