Parents often consult their children about calcium supplement. Many parents worry that their children will lack calcium and even start to supplement calcium to their children under the impetus of advertisements. Does the baby really need calcium supplement? Which foods are rich in calcium?
How much calcium do infants need?
According to the latest 2013 edition of the Recommended Intake of Dietary Nutrients for Chinese Residents, the appropriate intake of calcium is 200 mg per day for 0-6 months, 250 mg for 7-12 months and 600 mg for 1-3 years.
Appropriate intake (AI) refers to the intake of certain nutrients in healthy people obtained through observation or experiments. For example, Healthy full-term babies who are exclusively breastfed come from breast milk from birth to 4 to 6 months old, so the nutrient content in breast milk is the appropriate intake for babies. In other words, the appropriate intake can meet the needs of almost all individuals.
Is there any difference in calcium content between different milks?
Generally speaking, the calcium content in breast milk is about 35 mg/100 mL, but the calcium absorption rate is relatively high. The calcium content in formula milk is about 50 mg/100 mL, and the calcium absorption rate is not as high as that in breast milk. The calcium content in ordinary pure milk is higher, reaching more than 100 mg/100 mL, while the calcium content in high calcium milk can exceed 125 mg/100 mL.
How can babies under 6 months old get sufficient calcium?
For babies under 6 months old, About 200 mg of calcium should be ingested every day, which is equivalent to 600 mL of breast milk or 400 mL of formula milk. Even children who are exclusively breast-fed usually can easily meet the calcium requirement. Besides, the calcium requirement for infants within 6 months is calculated from breast milk. As long as breast milk intake is sufficient, children will not lack calcium and there is no need to supplement calcium indiscriminately.
How can babies aged 7-12 months get sufficient calcium?
Babies aged 7-12 months need about 250 mg of calcium every day, which is easier to achieve. They only need about 700 milliliters of breast milk or 500 mL of formula milk.
It is suggested that babies aged 7-12 months should ensure that the daily intake of milk should reach 800-1000 mL, not only adequate calcium, but also adequate other nutrients. Therefore, it can be seen that as long as the milk quantity is sufficient to meet the calcium quantity, calcium supplement is not required.
How do children aged 1 ~ 3 get sufficient calcium?
After the age of 1, children’s diet begins to gradually shift to adults. If they want to approach or reach 600 mg of calcium, they need to arrange their diet reasonably.
Can breast milk continue breast milk, breast milk amount is best can be in 600 ~ 800 mL above, can’t estimate the amount of breast milk also has nothing to do, is to feed the child several times of milk. And formula milk is best 400-500 mL above. In this way, you can intake nearly 200 ~ 250 mg calcium. Other calcium, can come from other foods, other calcium-rich foods such as pure yogurt, pure milk, tofu, green leafy vegetables, sesame paste, etc.
How do children aged 4 ~ 6 get enough calcium?
For children aged 4-6 years old, it is best to consume more than 300-400 mL of milk every day, and at the same time pay attention to the intake of calcium-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables and tofu to ensure sufficient sources of calcium.
Will calcium be ingested in excess?
According to the recommended intake, for healthy babies under 6 months old, the maximum tolerable calcium intake is 1,000 mg, 1 500 mg for 7-12 months old and 1 500 mg for 1-3 years old. Even if it is exceeded, as long as it is not a large dose, it will not necessarily endanger health.
Calcium obtained from diet is generally not excessive, and the human body will not absorb and excrete more. If calcium is not deficient and calcium is supplemented, it may lead to excessive calcium, which will increase the excretion burden of the kidney in light cases, and will cause harm to health in heavy cases, and will also affect the absorption of other minerals.
Therefore, try to get enough calcium from food. It is really insufficient. Calcium can be supplemented, but it cannot be supplemented indiscriminately.
If necessary, how can we make up for it?
Under normal circumstances, for infants, the milk quantity is sufficient, and generally there is no real calcium deficiency, but vitamin D deficiency is easy. Because the absorption of calcium requires the participation of vitamin D.
For special groups, such as premature infants or people with insufficient calcium intake in diet, reasonable calcium supplement and vitamin D preparations are required under the guidance of doctors.
Editor: Fu Ting
Author: Liu Changwei
The article was reprinted by Clove Garden authorized by the author.