Guidelines For Calcium Supplementation For The Elderly With High Efficiency

The rate of people suffering from osteoarthritis is increasing, mainly due to calcium deficiency. As we age, our ability to absorb calcium decreases, and bone density also decreases. Therefore, we need to supplement calcium to prevent bone and joint diseases. Let’s learn how to supplement calcium for the elderly with high efficiency through the following article of Solife

1.The role of calcium in the body

Calcium is a mineral involved in many different functions in the body. About 99% of calcium is in bones, in the form of calcium salts attached to the cytoskeleton that makes bones and teeth hard. Calcium has many roles in the body:

Helps the body develop and maintain strong bones

Calcium helps strengthen bones, grow taller in children and maintain and prevent osteoporosis in adults. Protect teeth against bacteria and tartar. Lack of calcium causes children to have rickets, growth retardation, slow growth of teeth and susceptibility to dental diseases such as tooth decay and fragile teeth.

Helps regulate muscle contractions

When muscles are stimulated by nerves, the body releases calcium that binds to proteins in the muscles, causing muscle contraction. When calcium is pumped out of the muscle, the muscle relaxes.

Support cardiovascular health

Calcium is necessary for the proper functioning of the blood and plays an important role in blood clotting. Calcium helps maintain heart muscle activity, relaxes smooth muscle that surrounds blood vessels.

In addition, calcium has many other roles

Calcium is needed for cellular metabolism, weight maintenance, nutrient transport, and indigestion relief. If pregnant women do not get enough calcium, it can slow the growth of their children and increase the likelihood of bone aging in the mother.

2. Why is calcium supplementation for the elderly so necessary?

With the roles that calcium brings to the body, we can understand the importance of calcium. As age increases, the body’s ability to absorb calcium decreases, calcium supplementation is very necessary, especially calcium supplements for the elderly. supplement calcium for the elderly with Solife

There are many reasons why the elderly reduce calcium absorption: Due to the aging process, sedentary activities, outdoor activities, poor nutrition, the use of many different drugs that interfere with calcium absorption of the elderly. body,…

Elderly people who lack calcium will have osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a metabolic disorder of the bones. A decrease in bone mass and quality increases the risk of fracture. Osteoporotic fractures are one of the major causes of morbidity and disability in the elderly. Causing many serious consequences, affecting the quality of life, is a burden for individuals, families and society.

3.Guidelines for effective calcium supplements for the elderly

Elderly people need 1200 mg of calcium per day. There are many ways to supplement calcium for the elderly such as dietary supplements, calcium milks or using calcium supplements.

3.1 Supplementing calcium through food

Experts often recommend that you try to get calcium naturally through your diet. There are many types of calcium supplements for adults

• Milk and dairy products such as: Yogurt, cheese, whey, condensed milk, butter cream, etc. However, it is necessary to pay attention to choosing low-sugar foods to avoid excess energy.
• Green leafy vegetables, cabbage, kale, broccoli, spinach,…
• Seafood with soft bones such as: sardines, canned salmon Sobeys, black beans, lentils and soy products such as tofu, soy milk
• Chia seeds, sesame seeds, sesame seeds, almonds
• Fruits such as: oranges, tangerines, apricots, plums, figs, kiwis,…and fruit juices
• Eat more foods rich in vitamin D such as salmon, cod liver, shrimp, oysters, egg yolk, … to help calcium absorb better

3.2 Supplement with calcium milk

As age increases, the elderly’s ability to eat and absorb calcium will decrease. Milk calcium is a calcium supplement drink that helps the body to easily digest and absorb.

it also contains many other nutrients that are beneficial to health. Currently, calcium milk is very rich and diverse on the market, suitable for many ages, especially calcium supplements for adults and elderly.

3.3 Use calcium supplements

The body always excretes calcium every day, if you do not get enough calcium through the diet, it will lead to calcium deficiency, causing many serious consequences. Besides calcium milk, we can use calcium supplements for the elderly.

Calcium supplements help meet the body’s daily calcium requirements, build a healthy immune system, and prevent diseases related to calcium deficiency such as osteoporosis, convulsions, and bone tissue disorders. ,… Rehabilitation of broken bones due to trauma. In addition, you should also use vitamin D3 tablets to enhance the body’s ability to absorb calcium.

4. Notes when supplementing calcium for the elderly

Here are some notes when supplementing with calcium for the elderly:

• If you are taking other medications or minerals, take them at a time interval to avoid interactions between the drugs and calcium.
• Regularly sunbathe or take vitamin D supplements for better absorption of calcium. Besides, you can choose a calcium supplement with vitamin D in it.
• When using calcium supplements for the elderly, you should pay attention to choose products with few additives, carefully read the instructions for use and consult your doctor before use.
• Eat less salt to reduce calcium excretion and eat fruits rich in organic acids and vitamin C to increase calcium absorption
• Do not drink calcium in the evening to avoid deposition and insomnia
• Do not take calcium supplements with milk
• Limit the use of beer, alcohol, tobacco, limit the use of products containing a lot of caffeine such as coffee, tea to limit the reduction of calcium absorption and increase calcium excretion.
• Besides a healthy diet, it is necessary to combine reasonable exercise for the best bone health.

Read more detail: Instructions on how to supplement calcium and important notes

Conclusion

Above are some guidelines for calcium supplements for adults. Hopefully, it will help you get more useful information to take care of yourself and your family’s health.

Reference
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium
https://vinmec.com/vi/co-xuong-khop/suc-khoe-thuong-thuc/co-can-bo-sung-canxi-cho-nguoi-lon
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-calcium-rich-foods 

Trần Hoàng Uyên

Trần Hoàng Uyên (Senior Manager Pharmaceutical company) là chuyên gia cấp cao với nhiều năm kinh nghiệm trong lĩnh vực dược phẩm. Tốt nghiệp cử nhân chuyên ngành Quản lý dược I tại Trường Đại học Y dược TP. Hồ Chí Minh và hiện đang công tác tại công ty dược phẩm. Với hơn 10 năm kinh nghiệm làm việc trong ngành dược, chị Hoàng Uyên là chuyên gia cộng tác tham vấn y khoa cho danh mục blog cũng như các nội dung liên quan trên Solife. (Tran Hoang Uyen (Senior Manager Pharmaceutical company) is a senior specialist with many years of experience in the Pharmaceutical field. She graduated Bachelor of Pharmacy Management I at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City and is currently working for a pharmaceutical company. With more than 10 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical industry, Ms. Hoang Uyen is a medical consultant collaborator for content on Solife's website.)