Osteoporosis is a common problem faced by middle-aged and elderly people, especially in postmenopausal women. After suffering from osteoporosis, many patients do not know how to treat it, and usually follow suit to supplement calcium

Osteoporosis is a common problem faced by middle-aged and elderly people, especially in postmenopausal women. After suffering from osteoporosis, many patients do not know how to treat it, and usually follow suit to supplement calcium. It may take a long time to supplement, but the symptoms do not improve. Is osteoporosis really caused by calcium deficiency? Is calcium supplementation the only treatment option? Today we will learn about the answers together.

Osteoporosis does not equate to calcium deficiency

What are the effects of calcium on the human body? What are the hazards of calcium deficiency?

Calcium is an important component of the human body. A healthy adult has approximately 1-1.2 kilograms of calcium in their body, ranking fifth only after carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, and first among the inorganic elements that make up the human body. Calcium mainly exists in the human body in two forms. 99.3% of calcium exists in bones and teeth in the form of hydroxyapatite crystals, and 0.7% of calcium exists in extracellular fluid and soft tissue in the form of ions.

Calcium plays a very important role in the human body:

• Participate in the composition of bones and teeth;
• Maintain and regulate normal neuromuscular excitability;
• Participate in muscle contraction coupling;
• Maintain normal electrophysiological function of the heart;
• Affects the permeability of capillaries;
• Participate in regulating the release of various hormones and neurotransmitters;
• It can activate various enzymes to regulate metabolic processes and activate complement;
• Participating in the coagulation process is a necessary coagulation factor for blood coagulation;
• Participate in the transmission process of cellular signals;

In short, calcium is an essential and important component in various physiological functions and metabolic processes of the human body. Once calcium is lacking, it will have various effects on the normal operation of the body.

Calcium deficiency can cause damage to multiple systems in the human body

The main hazards of calcium deficiency include:

• Affects nerves and muscles
• Affects the digestive system
• Affects growth and developmentAffects growth and development
• Affects coagulation function
• Causing osteoporosis

There are many hazards that calcium deficiency can cause, such as high blood pressure, bone hyperplasia, loose teeth, aging skin, etc. Almost every organ of the body may be affected.

Beware of osteoporosis due to calcium deficiency

How does osteoporosis occur? What are the other reasons besides calcium deficiency?

People generally attribute the occurrence of osteoporosis to a lack of calcium in food, which is actually inaccurate. Our bones are constantly in metabolism, constantly undergoing bone remodeling during adolescence, and there is always bone reconstruction after the bones mature. The reconstruction of bones includes two processes: bone resorption and bone formation, which are carried out in an orderly manner. When bone resorption exceeds bone formation, osteoporosis occurs.

• bone resorption
• bone formationbone formation

The process of bone reconstruction

bone resorptionbone formationbone formationbonesCausing osteoporosis

• Parathyroid hormone (PTH)
• vitamin Dvitamin Dphosphorusphosphorusvitamin D
• Calcitonin (CT)
• GlucocorticoidsGlucocorticoidsbone resorptionbone formationGlucocorticoidsbone resorptionbone resorptionCausing osteoporosis
• estrogenestrogenestrogenestrogen
• thyroxinethyroxinebone resorptionthyroxinebone resorptionbone resorption
• smokesmokebone formation
• AlcoholAlcoholbones
• Coffee, strong tea, beverages

Causing osteoporosis

bone resorptionbone formationCausing osteoporosis

• People who do not like to drink milk, eat eggs, eat green leafy vegetables, and lack calcium in their diet;
• estrogen
• vitamin D
• thyroxine
• Glucocorticoids
• smokeAlcoholCoffee, strong tea, beverages

Try to avoid the risk factors of osteoporosis in daily life

Food supplement or medication supplement? How to correctly supplement calcium for patients with osteoporosis?

Anyway, regardless of the cause of osteoporosis, patients should consume sufficient calcium in their daily lives. When it comes to calcium supplementation, many people first think of using calcium supplements, which is actually not scientific. For example, if you have a problem with calcium absorption, you should first solve the problem, or if you lack certain hormones that prevent calcium ions from integrating and forming new bones, and the calcium concentration in the blood is normal, then you should not blindly supplement calcium.

Whether to take calcium supplements for osteoporosis and seek advice from a professional doctor

Whether patients with osteoporosis need calcium supplementation should be guided by a specialist. If medication is blindly taken, excessive intake of calcium may actually causeHypercalcemiaThe harm is not weaker than hypocalcemia:

• Affects nerves and muscles
• Affects the cardiovascular system
• kidney
• digestive system
• bonesbones

Excessive calcium ions in the blood can lead to "calcium poisoning"

In general, sufficient calcium can be obtained through a reasonable diet, and foods suitable for calcium supplementation generally include:

• Milk and dairy productsCow and sheep milk and their powdered milk, cheese, yogurt, condensed milk.
• Beans and bean productsSoybeans, lentils, tofu, dried tofu, tofu skin, etc.
• Livestock and poultry meat and eggsLamb, chicken, eggs, duck eggs, etc.
• aquatic products Shrimp skin, kelp, sea cucumber, crab, shrimp, seaweed, crucian carp, carp, etc.
• VegetablesShepherd's purse, black fungus, celery, carrots, sesame, mushrooms, etc.
• FruitsLemons, loquats, apples, black dates, etc.

Foods rich in calcium

In addition to calcium supplementation, these four things should also be done well to prevent and treat osteoporosis

01/Comprehensive nutrition

Causing osteoporosis

• vitamin Dvitamin D37-vitamin D3vitamin D2
• proteinproteinbonesprotein
• phosphorusphosphorusbonesphosphorusbone resorptionbone formationphosphorusphosphorusphosphorusbones
• Vitamin KVitamin KbonesVitamin KVitamin K

ABCbones

Refuse partial or picky eating, and ensure comprehensive nutrition through diversified diet

02/Moderate exercise

bonesbones70%~80%2~315~60bones

Regular exercise every day is beneficial for bone and joint health

03/This medication needs to be taken

bones

vitamin Dbone resorptionbone formation

• bone resorptionestrogen
• bone formationVitamin K
• traditional Chinese medicinetraditional Chinese medicine

Treating osteoporosis not only involves calcium supplementation, but also medication when switching to medication

04/Changing Bad Habits

smokeAlcoholsmokeAlcohol

smokeAlcoholbones

Disclaimer: The content of this article is sourced from the internet. The copyright of the text, images, and other materials belongs to the original author. The platform reprints the materials for the purpose of conveying more information. The content of the article is for reference and learning only, and should not be used for commercial purposes. If it infringes on your legitimate rights and interests, please contact us promptly and we will handle it as soon as possible! We respect copyright and are committed to protecting it. Thank you for sharing.(Email:[email protected])