Misconceptions about calcium and osteoporosis

Calcium is a necessary nutrient for the body, but not everyone knows how to use it properly. Below are common misconceptions about calcium due toPeoplelist

Taking calcium does not cause osteoporosis

Calcium deficiency is only one of many causes of osteoporosis, so calcium supplementation alone cannot completely prevent this disease.

Causes of osteoporosis can be due to body hormones, a diet lacking in calcium and vitamin D, lack of exercise or some bad habits such as smoking, alcoholism, drinking too much coffee.

If you have osteoporosis, you should find out the cause and then take appropriate treatment steps. You should not arbitrarily supplement calcium.

Eating bone broth will prevent osteoporosis.

Some people believe that “you are what you eat”, and that eating bone broth can supplement calcium to prevent osteoporosis. However, according to research, calcium is a mineral that does not dissolve in water. Even when cooked at high temperatures, the calcium in bones hardly releases into the broth.

Furthermore, bone broth does not contain vitamin D which helps promote calcium absorption. The bone broth process only causes fat in the bones to be secreted, so eating too much can easily cause fatty blood and increase uric acid in the blood.

Teenagers do not get osteoporosis

Osteoporosis not only occurs in the elderly but also in adolescents. Some cases of young people with osteoporosis have unknown causes or secondary osteoporosis due to diseases and drugs. Bad habits of adolescents such as smoking and drinking also increase the risk of osteoporosis.

Blood calcium levels are not associated with osteoporosis.

The amount of calcium in the blood is different from the amount of calcium in the bones. If the blood calcium is low, the body will pull calcium from the bones into the blood, causing the risk of osteoporosis. However, the amount of calcium in the blood is not affected even when a bone is broken.

Only trauma leads to fractures.

Some patients only learn they have severe osteoporosis after a fracture. In fact, when osteoporosis is severe, just vigorous exercise or heavy lifting can cause a fracture. Minor fractures can have serious consequences, so people with osteoporosis need to pay attention to checkups for timely diagnosis and treatment.

Calcium supplements can cause kidney stones

Many people believe that patients with kidney stones should limit calcium supplementation because calcium easily accumulates and causes kidney stones. However, an American study showed that people who follow a diet rich in calcium have up to 35% less kidney stones than those who eat less calcium. This is because the cause of kidney stones is not excessive calcium absorption but calcium metabolism disorders in the body. Calcium in the bones is reduced but the amount of calcium in the blood and soft tissues increases, leading to excess, which can also cause diseases such as kidney stones and arteriosclerosis.