Drinking coffee makes people osteoporotic? Seven rumors about calcium loss

For Chinese, calcium supplementation seems to be an eternal topic. However, while calcium products are popular, osteoporosis is more common. What makes calcium in our bones sneak away? Nowadays, there are many sayings about "calcium loss" circulating on the Internet. In this issue, I will explain them to you one by one.

Rumor 1: Eating more salt will cause calcium loss?

Really. Sodium intake is strongly correlated with urinary calcium excretion. For every 2300 milligrams of sodium (equivalent to 6 grams of salt) excreted by the kidneys, 40 to 60 milligrams of calcium are lost. Some studies of hypertension also suggest that high sodium intake is not only a factor in raising blood pressure, but also a factor in promoting calcium loss and increasing the risk of kidney stones. The salt intake of Chinese residents (average more than 9 g/day) far exceeds the recommended value of the World Health Organization (5 g/day), some areas in the north even as high as 12~18 g/day, while the calcium intake (close to 400 mg) is only half of the recommended value (800 mg), the problem of bone calcium loss caused by excessive sodium intake can not be ignored, the so-called "eat less salt = more calcium" is not empty words.

Myth 2: Bean products are better for bone health than meat?

Really. When evaluating the contribution of food protein to calcium supplementation, it is advisable to use the indicator of "calcium/protein". For Chinese with low dairy intake, soy products are an important source of dietary calcium. Although meat foods are rich in protein, the calcium content is generally low, such as beef with only 23 mg/100 g of calcium. Soybean products contain calcium as high as 191 mg/100 g, much higher than meat products. After making tofu, brine or gypsum should be added to increase the calcium and magnesium content. Moreover, magnesium, vitamin K and soybean isoflavones contained in soybeans can effectively improve the utilization rate of calcium and reduce the risk of calcium loss.

Rumor 3: Dairy products eat more calcium deficiency?

Fake. Comparing the results of Chinese and Western studies, it can be found that there is no clear correlation between dairy intake and bone mineral density in Western countries where the basal intake of calcium is already high, but as far as the actual situation in China is concerned, increasing calcium from dairy products is conducive to improving bone health. If Chinese people can increase the efficient use of milk calcium, increase the intake of dairy products from 0 to 250 grams per day (calculated as milk), without excessive increase in protein and saturated fat intake, it is beneficial to increase the peak bone density of Chinese people. The claim that protein in dairy products promotes calcium loss has also been denied by the research institute.

Myth 4: Vegetarian diet will definitely reduce calcium loss?

Fake. The study found that eating vegetarian food does not mean that urinary calcium loss must be lower than meat eaters. Vegetarians who eat refined grains with very low calcium content and insufficient potassium and magnesium intake will also reduce the utilization rate of dietary calcium. Vegetarians who do not pay attention to nutritional balance, lack quality protein supply, do little outdoor activity and do not pay attention to vitamin D supplementation will reduce calcium bioavailability. Some human studies have found that vegan diets do not lose as much calcium in urine as omnivores who eat meat.

Myth 5: Eating more fruits can reduce calcium loss?

Really. Epidemiological studies have shown that people who eat more fruit in their diets have higher bone density and a reduced risk of fractures in adolescents at the same calorie and protein intake levels. Researchers believe that fruits are rich in potassium, which may help reduce urinary calcium excretion, and vitamin C is also one of the factors that promote calcium absorption. Eating more fruits is beneficial. Without reducing the intake of soy products, dairy products and green leafy vegetables, fruits themselves contain less calcium and cannot replace the main food source of calcium.

Myth 6: Does drinking coffee make people osteoporosis?

Fake. Coffee made from cocoa beans is a good source of potassium as well as oxalic acid and caffeine. Potassium helps reduce calcium loss, oxalic acid reduces calcium absorption, and caffeine increases urinary calcium loss. Caffeine has only a short-term diuretic effect, and drinking a small amount of coffee does not cause a significant increase in daily urinary calcium loss. Caffeine in each cup of coffee increases calcium loss by an average of only 2 to 3 milligrams. If pure milk is added to coffee, the calcium obtained from milk is more than enough to make up for the calcium loss caused by caffeine and oxalic acid.

Rumor 7: How much jealousy will make bone calcium dissolve and lose?

Fake. There may be two sources of this rumor: one is the "acidic constitution" that all sour foods are not healthy; the other is that vinegar can dissolve calcium carbonate precipitation, and it is believed that vinegar will also dissolve bone calcium. In fact, vinegar can help people with less acid to turn insoluble calcium in food into an ionic state, which is conducive to calcium absorption. And the old vinegar itself contains high calcium (according to the food composition table data, 125 mg/100 g, comparable to milk). Studies have also found that replacing chloride ions with acetate and bicarbonate in the diet can significantly reduce urinary calcium loss. Eat less salt, eat more vinegar, to improve the utilization of calcium is helpful.