Calcium is the most abundant mineral element in the human body, making up the primary inorganic component of bones and teeth. It accounts for 1.5%-2.0% of an adult’s body weight, with the vast majority of calcium concentrated in bones and teeth.
Calcium not only constitutes bones and teeth but also plays vital roles in maintaining nerve and muscle activity, promoting cell signal transmission, aiding blood coagulation, regulating enzyme activity in the body, and stabilizing cell membranes. Food is the primary source of calcium for the human body, but there are various claims about calcium supplementation. Today, we will clarify these claims.
These 3 Things Do Not Supplement Calcium
- Eating Shrimp Shells Doesn’t Supplement Calcium According to the “China Food Composition Table (First Volume) (2nd Edition),” comparing the calcium content per 100 grams of edible portions, shrimp shells contain 991 milligrams, which is higher than the 104 milligrams in milk and 164 milligrams in tofu. However, a good source of calcium should consider both the calcium content and its bioavailability. Despite the high calcium content in shrimp shells and sesame paste, their bioavailability is relatively low, and they cannot be consumed daily or frequently, so they are generally not recommended for calcium supplementation.
- Eating Sesame Paste Doesn’t Supplement Calcium According to the “China Food Composition Table (First Volume) (2nd Edition),” sesame paste contains 1170 milligrams of calcium per 100 grams of edible portion. Sesame paste also has the problem of relatively low bioavailability and limited daily consumption. Therefore, trying to effectively supplement calcium by consuming sesame paste may not yield significant results.
- Drinking Bone Broth Doesn’t Supplement Calcium Research has found that although animal bones contain a lot of calcium, after boiling 50 grams of pig bones for 20 minutes, the calcium concentration in the soup is only 67.6 milligrams per liter. This means a 200-milliliter bowl of soup contains only 13.52 milligrams of calcium. The milky white substance in bone broth is not calcium but dissolved fat. This is because the calcium in bones exists in the form of hydroxyapatite, which is almost insoluble in water. Additionally, the excessive fat in the broth is not conducive to calcium absorption, so supplementing calcium through bone broth is not scientifically sound.
Which Foods Provide More Easily Absorbed Calcium?
Since shrimp shells and bone broth do not effectively supplement calcium, what foods can?
- Milk and Dairy Products The “Chinese Dietary Guidelines (2022)” recommends supplementing calcium through milk and dairy products, with adults consuming the equivalent of 300ml of liquid milk daily. Milk and dairy products are the best dietary sources of calcium. Not only do they have high calcium content, but the presence of vitamin D and lactose in milk also promotes calcium absorption, making the calcium in milk more easily absorbed by the body, with a bioavailability of about 32.1%, making it the primary source of calcium.
- Legumes and Soy Products Legumes and their products also have high calcium content, with a bioavailability of over 20%, making them a good source of calcium. Although soy and its products are good sources of calcium, their calcium content and absorption rate are not as high as those of dairy products.
- Dark Green Leafy Vegetables Dark green leafy vegetables and cauliflower also contain significant amounts of calcium. Although amaranth, spinach, and water spinach have high calcium content, their high oxalate content leads to lower calcium absorption rates.
- Citrus Fruits Among fruits, citrus fruits have higher calcium content, while other fruits have low calcium content.
- Shellfish Among animal foods, shellfish have the highest calcium content, followed by fish and eggs. Meat and poultry have lower calcium content.
- Water Drinking water is also a source of calcium. The calcium content in water is related to its hardness, with hard water containing 60-140 milligrams of calcium per liter.
