It is not true that the more calcium you take, the stronger your bones will be.

You must have heard this before, "If you want your bones to be less brittle, you need to supplement more calcium." But are our bones really stronger the more calcium we supplement ?

Our bones are under stress for a long time, so they will naturally age. Most of the calcium we absorb is stored in bones and teeth in addition to in the blood. We can also say that bones and teeth are "reservoirs" of calcium, and they are constantly metabolizing.

In order to maintain the strength of our bones, bones are also constantly metabolizing. This is just like if there is damage on an asphalt road, it has to be filled and repaired with asphalt .

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

But in the process of metabolism, our body will also have its own considerations, and often "build" as much as it needs . Modern people spend less time outdoors, lacking the external force and light necessary to strengthen bones, so they will not become stronger. And if we take too much calcium, it may cause muscle and ligament ossification.

Especially for children, if they do not exercise and only rely on eating to supplement calcium, their bones will be very fragile . Even archaeological evidence supports this view. Asian women 1,200 years ago did not take calcium tablets and may not have been able to regularly supplement milk, but their bone mass was 20% higher than that of women today. This is most likely due to the "amount of exercise" at work.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

So how much calcium should we supplement? According to the 2022 edition of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", we should drink 300 to 500 grams of milk every day. According to the current nutritional dietary guidelines, the recommended calcium intake for adults is 800 mg per day . To maintain bone health, we can refer to it.

Calcium supplementation is not a simple issue. If you want to maintain bone health, calcium supplementation alone is not enough. Exercise is also very important . If you really want to have strong bones, you should start moving as soon as possible.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center