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A friend asked: A woman in her 50s wants to supplement calcium, how should she eat in her daily diet? What should she eat?
Many people have heard that women entering middle age, especially postmenopausal women, should supplement calcium, otherwise osteoporosis may occur. Not only osteoporosis, but many diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, etc., with serious consequences, the risk of occurrence will also greatly increase. This is closely related to the gradual decrease in estrogen levels in the body as women age, especially the rapid decrease in estrogen levels after menopause. It is indeed necessary to pay attention to calcium supplementation.
However, the absorption of calcium in the human body is not directly proportional to the amount of calcium in food consumed. There are many factors that affect calcium absorption. For example, it is widely known that sufficient intake of vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption. Otherwise, calcium cannot be absorbed. In fact, if one exposes themselves to the sun for at least two times a week, not less than 20 minutes each time, vitamin D deficiency can be avoided. Also, having a balanced diet without being picky, including intake of half a liter of milk, two liangs of soy products, etc., can provide sufficient calcium from the diet. In theory, the body should not lack calcium, so why does calcium deficiency still occur?
For women, estrogen plays a crucial role in the absorption and utilization of calcium as well as bone metabolism, especially affecting the processes of bone formation and bone resorption. When the dynamic balance between the two is disrupted, especially when bone resorption exceeds bone formation, osteoporosis occurs, and the lack of estrogen greatly promotes this process.
So, do postmenopausal women need to supplement estrogen? From the perspective of better maintaining overall health, indeed, it should be considered, which has increasingly become a significant issue. However, the amount and method of estrogen supplementation are associated with individual issues in the bone metabolism process. Currently, in clinical practice, estrogen supplementation is mostly used when estrogen deficiency leads to various bodily issues that require timely estrogen replacement therapy.
However, estrogen supplementation is a double-edged sword. Excessive supplementation can greatly increase the risk of breast malignant transformation. Therefore, for women with severe calcium deficiency leading to severe osteoporosis and other issues, long-term use of drugs that inhibit bone resorption and promote bone formation is often recommended to minimize the risk of osteoporosis and also to better prevent and treat diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.
In summary, as long as women in their 50s can maintain a balanced diet as mentioned above, they can ensure sufficient calcium intake. The key is to improve the physiological processes of calcium absorption and utilization based on their own health conditions. This requires relevant examinations such as measuring estrogen levels and bone density. Afterward, doctors should develop personalized treatment plans based on individual health conditions and adhere to the treatment to achieve good results.
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