Many people often take calcium supplements, but they are not very clear on how to promote calcium absorption in their diet. Moreover, without paying close attention, they can easily fall into common misconceptions that hinder calcium absorption. Understanding these common misconceptions about calcium supplementation will be very beneficial for you to increase your calcium intake through diet.
Believing that eating beef is good 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 suffer from severe calcium deficiency. This is because beef itself contains very little calcium—this is true for all meats. At the same time, meat contains a large amount of "acid-forming elements," mainly phosphorus, sulfur, and chlorine. These elements make the blood more acidic, forcing the body to use calcium ions from food and bones to neutralize them. This, in turn, increases the loss of calcium from the body and reduces its absorption. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people with calcium deficiency should appropriately control their intake of meat, whether it is red meat or white meat. Believing that eating vegetables has nothing to do with bone health
Many people prefer animal-based foods but seldom pay attention to supplementing with vegetables. They think that vegetables only contain dietary fiber and vitamins and have nothing to do with bone health. In reality, 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 bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, and celery, all of which are calcium-rich vegetables that should not be overlooked. Believing that replacing meals with fruit is good for bone health
Many women trying to lose weight believe that they can get enough protein and vitamins just by eating fruit, and they often replace a meal with fruit. In reality, while fruit is beneficial for 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, which serves 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 onset of osteoporosis. Believing that drinking beverages has nothing to do with calcium supplementation
Most beverages contain phosphates, which severely hinder calcium absorption and promote its 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, low in phosphorus, and contains fluorine, which promotes strong bones and teeth. Therefore, drinking tea is beneficial and harmless for bone health.
Believing that drinking bone broth will prevent calcium deficiency
The calcium in bones will never dissolve easily. 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 content in the broth is still minimal. There is only one way to supplement calcium with bone broth: add half a bowl of vinegar and simmer it slowly for one or two hours. Vinegar can effectively help dissolve bone calcium. It should be noted that you should not use a pressure cooker for this; it is best to use a clay pot to avoid dissolving too much aluminum into the bone broth. Believing that drinking milk is not helpful for calcium supplementation
Although some people claim that milk contains a large amount of protein, which makes the body's constitution more acidic and promotes calcium loss, this statement is not entirely correct. In fact, the protein content in milk is only 3%, while its water content is as high as 87%. Every 250 grams of milk contains over 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 one. Therefore, milk does not make body fluids more acidic, nor does it promote calcium loss. Overall, milk is still the best food for calcium supplementation. Using glucono delta-lactone tofu for calcium supplementation 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 the tofu is set. Therefore, people who do not drink milk are generally conscious of eating more tofu. However, glucono delta-lactone tofu is not a good source of calcium because it does not use a calcium-containing coagulant, but rather glucono delta-lactone as the coagulant. At the same time, glucono delta-lactone tofu contains too much water, so its protein and calcium content are very low. Besides glucono delta-lactone tofu, "Japanese tofu" is also not suitable for calcium supplementation.
In terms of calcium content, soy milk is far inferior to milk. This is because although the calcium content in soybeans is not too low, it becomes highly diluted after being ground with 10 times the amount of water to make soy milk. Drinking a glass of soy milk is equivalent to eating only a few dozen soybeans, so the calcium content is very low. The real benefit of soy milk for bones is that it provides phytoestrogens, which reduces calcium loss in menopausal women.