Osteoporosis: Taking Calcium and Vitamin D

Kerapuhan tulang merupakan proses penuaan secara semulajadi, yang bermula seawal umur 30 tahun, terutamanya bagi wanita yang pernah hamil dan melahirkan anak. Kerapuhan tulang menjadi semakin serius apabila jisim tulang yang semakin berkurangan dengan ketara, lebih-lebih lagi selepas wanita putus haid. Keadaan ini dikenali sebagai osteoporosis di mana tulang menjadi rapuh dan mudah patah.

Sebagai mana kita semua tahu, kalsium merupakan kandungan utama tulang. Oleh itu, bagi mencegah atau merawat osteoporosis dan menguatkan tulang, pengambilan kalsium dan vitamin D yang mencukupi sangat penting, sama ada bersumberkan daripada makanan segar atau suplemen. Vitamin D diperlukan oleh badan bagi menyerap kalsium. Tanpa vitamin D yang mencukupi, penyerapan kalsium oleh badan kurang berkesan.

Kalsium terdapat dalam pelbagai jenis makanan termasuklah produk tenusu (seperti susu segar, yogurt, keju), sayur-sayuran (seperti brokoli, kobis), ikan sardin dalam tin (mengandungi tulang yang boleh dimakan), dan makanan lain yang ditambah kalsium (seperti jus oren, jus soya, bijirin, dsb.).

Suplemen kalsium boleh diperolehi dalam bentuk: kalsium karbonat (40% kalsium), kalsium sitrat (21% kalsium) yang mudah dihadamkan dan mengurangkan sembelit, sedikit asas kalsium dalam bentuk kalsium glukonat dan kalsium laktat.
Vitamin D pun boleh didapati dalam beberapa jenis makanan seperti ikan salmon, tuna, tenggiri, sedikit dalam keju, kuning telur, organ hati, yogurt, soya, ditambah dalam beberapa jenis makanan seperti bijirin, jus oren, marjerin, dsb.

Namun begitu, pengambilan suplemen kalsium dan vitamin D tambahan yang belebihan (melebihi kadar keperluan harian) akan terdedah kepada risiko batu karang dalam buah pinggang. Oleh itu, ambillah sekadar yang diperlukan oleh badan mengikut umur dan jantina masing-masing.

Artikel berkaitan termasuk jumlah keperluan harian bagi kalsium dan vitamin D mengikut kumpulan umur dan jantina yang belainan dipanjangkan di bawah ini….

Osteoporosis: Taking Calcium and Vitamin D

Bone thinning occurs as part of the natural process of aging. If the thinning continues to the point that your bones become fragile and in danger of breaking, you have osteoporosis. However, osteoporosis is considered a preventable disease.

Key points

After age 30, men and women naturally begin to lose bone mass. You can slow bone loss and possibly prevent osteoporosis by eating a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D.

Getting enough calcium and vitamin D is especially critical for women in the first few years after menopause, when bone mass is lost more rapidly.

If you do not get enough calcium and vitamin D from the foods you eat, change your diet or take calcium and vitamin D supplements. Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium.

If you are diagnosed with osteoporosis, it’s important to get enough calcium and vitamin D and take prescribed medicine for the disease.

Calcium is found in many foods, including dairy products such as milk or yogurt, fortified orange juice, and many vegetables.

What are the recommended daily amounts of calcium and vitamin D?

Calcium should always be taken with vitamin D, because vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium.

Recommended calcium and vitamin D by age 

Pregnant or nursing women need the same amount of calcium and vitamin D as other women their age.

Why are calcium and vitamin D used to treat or prevent osteoporosis?

Calcium, combined with vitamin D and weight-bearing exercise, keeps bone loss from getting worse or helps reduce the rate of bone loss that occurs with osteoporosis. Your bones need vitamin D to absorb calcium. Taking vitamin D along with calcium can help strengthen your bones.

How can I get enough calcium and vitamin D in my daily diet?

Many foods contain high amounts of calcium. It is important that you also get enough vitamin D along with calcium to help your body absorb the calcium.

Calcium is in foods such as milk, cheese, and yogurt. Vegetables like broccoli, kale, and Chinese cabbage have calcium. You can get calcium eating canned sardines and canned salmon from the soft edible bones. Foods with added (fortified) calcium include some cereals, juices, soy drinks, and tofu. The food label will show how much.

Vitamin D is in foods such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel. These are some of the best foods to eat when trying to get more vitamin D. Other foods with vitamin D, but in small amounts, include cheese, egg yolks, and beef liver. You can also get vitamin D from fortified foods such as milk and some cereals, orange juices, yogurts, margarines, and soy drinks.

For example, a good source of calcium is fat-free milk fortified with vitamin D. Four cups a day provide about 1,200 mg of calcium. Other good sources of calcium include shrimp, blackstrap molasses, calcium-fortified tofu, and almonds.

Everyone who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis should try to eat a diet rich in these nutrients. People who do not get enough calcium from their diet may need to take a calcium supplement with vitamin D.

Types of calcium supplements include:

Calcium carbonate, which is 40% elemental calcium.
Calcium citrate, which is 21% elemental calcium. While lower in elemental calcium than calcium carbonate, calcium citrate is easier to digest and does not cause constipation as much as other types of calcium supplements. Calcium gluconate and calcium lactate, which contain a low amount of elemental calcium.

You can get calcium supplements at most grocery stores and pharmacies. They come in tablets, chewables, and capsules. Not all supplements contain the same amount of calcium or contain vitamin D, so read the label to see which one is best for you.

Consider how much calcium and vitamin D you normally get in your diet. Then each day take the number of tablets that satisfies your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D based on your age and health condition. Be careful not to take too much. Calcium supplements with vitamin D may slightly increase your risk of kidney stones.

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