Precautions for pregnant women to supplement calcium
Release time : 09/04/2025 09:30:03
Calcium supplementation has always been a crucial topic in pregnant women's care.
However, many pregnant women have numerous misconceptions regarding calcium supplementation during pregnancy.
Do you even have a misconception about pregnant women's calcium supplementation? Let's bust some myths! Pregnant women should be cautious when it comes to calcium supplementation. So, what exactly are the key points to consider for pregnant women taking calcium supplements? What are the important considerations? Let's take a look together.
1. It is widely known that calcium supplements for pregnant women, containing an appropriate amount of vitamin D, are more scientifically sound. Calcium supplementation without sufficient vitamin D to promote the absorption of calcium has a significant impact on the effectiveness of calcium intake.
Vitamin D can help with the absorption of calcium in the intestine, promote the deposition of calcium ions in the bones, and reduce the excretion of calcium ions from the kidneys.
Vitamin D deficiency can reduce the calcium absorption rate to below 10%.
If pregnant women have sufficient vitamin D, it is beneficial to prevent rickets in children. Therefore, ensuring an adequate intake of vitamin D for pregnant women is particularly important.
Pregnant women should choose calcium supplements containing vitamin D.
Foods containing Vitamin D include fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, and food that is fortified with Vitamin D, such as butter and some breakfast cereals.
Red meat and egg yolks also contain small amounts of Vitamin D.
Apart from food, pregnant women can also buy Vitamin D supplements. If you cannot find a suitable dose of Vitamin D supplement, you may also choose other supplements that contain adequate amounts of Vitamin D and calcium.
2. Do not take calcium supplements on an empty stomach; they can be taken with meals, either before or after a meal or between meals or at bedtime. This is because adequate food intake can interfere with oxalate and facilitate the absorption of calcium.
Additionally, since the concentration of calcium in the blood is low at night, taking calcium supplements before bedtime can also aid in its absorption.
3. Calcium tablets should not be taken together with multivitamin tablets or foods rich in oxalic acid, such as those containing phytic acid. Multivitamin tablets generally contain other trace elements, and calcium can interact with iron, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus, for example, calcium can inhibit the absorption of these minerals. Therefore, it is best to avoid taking calcium supplements with multivitamin tablets at the same time.
Foods such as spinach, rape and the bran of cereals contain a large amount of oxalic acid or phytic acid, which also affects the absorption of calcium in the food.
4. Exposure to sunlight can help replenish Vitamin A and D, which are essential for calcium absorption, making it particularly beneficial for pregnant women in their calcium supplementation.
5. Effectiveness of taking calcium supplements in small amounts more frequently than once a day is better than taking large doses at one time, as this enhances absorption.
When taking calcium supplements, it is possible to choose a smaller dosage of the tablets, which can be taken twice or three times daily.
The same 500 ml milk, if divided into 2-3 times drinking, calcium supplementation effect is better than one time all drink.
Misconception 1: Bone Soup for Bone-Fortifying In Chinese culinary culture, there is a belief that certain foods can be used to supplement their physical properties, and bone soup has been widely promoted as a way to increase bone density.
But in fact, the calcium content in 20mg per liter of soup is far from sufficient for people to take advantage of it.
Additionally, the fat content in bone broth is very high. Drinking the soup also means consuming fat. Pregnant women should not rely solely on this as their sole source of calcium intake.
Misconception 2: It is necessary to supplement calcium throughout the entire pregnancy. The appropriate time for calcium supplementation should commence after the fourth month of pregnancy, when the fetus's skeletal structure begins to develop and requires a significant amount of calcium.
During the fetal development process, 80% of the calcium reserve in the fetus is accumulated in the late pregnancy, and it reaches its peak at about 38-39 weeks gestation, even some studies have found that calcium supplementation in late pregnancy has better effect.
Therefore, the amount of calcium supplementation for pregnant women varies at different stages.
Misconception 3: Dietary calcium supplementation is sufficient. It is recommended that pregnant women consume more milk products, soy products, and nuts, as these contain high levels of calcium.
However, it is extremely limited for pregnant women to obtain calcium from their diet. In addition to dietary adjustments, exposure to sunlight and scientific cooking are equally important in the process of calcium supplementation for pregnant women.
MomNet warm reminder: According to the dietary structure of pregnant women in our country, most mothers' dietary calcium intake does not meet their body needs. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement with calcium tablets. The common brands for calcium supplements available on the market include Dain, DiQiao, and Sanjing. When choosing calcium tablets, mothers must pay attention to the content and expiration dates of the tablets.
Misconception 4: More is not always better. Excessive calcium intake is not beneficial; it increases the risk of kidney stone formation.
It is appropriate for pregnant women to consume 1000-1500mg of calcium daily and it is necessary for pregnant women in the late stage of pregnancy to consume 1500mg of calcium daily.
If pregnant women experience severe discomfort such as edema, excessive sweating, loss of appetite, nausea, and constipation, it is important to consider whether the condition is caused by excessive calcium supplementation.
What is the purpose of calcium supplementation for pregnant women? With the deepening of people's awareness of eugenics, the importance of calcium supplementation for pregnant women is increasingly recognized.
So what exactly does calcium supplementation during pregnancy have any effect on? Let us delve into this topic together, as per the Mambopedia.
1. To prevent edema and lower back pain, during pregnancy, shoes that were originally comfortable become tight and uncomfortable, and often lead to lower back pain and leg aches.
In fact, edema and soreness are commonly observed during the late stages of pregnancy. This is related to a significant loss of calcium, a reduction in serum calcium concentrations, and changes in endocrine function.
Therefore, pregnant mothers need to take calcium supplements to reduce the risk of edema in the hands and feet and lower back pain.
2. Calcium plays a close role in preventing cramps, joint pain and muscle contraction, as well as the regulation of nerve cells.
If a pregnant woman is deficient in calcium, it can lead to increased excitability of nerves, causing muscle contractions and symptoms such as cramps and joint pain.
Therefore, pregnant women need to supplement sufficient calcium to prevent these symptoms.
3. Prevention of preeclampsia: Pregnant mothers not only have to endure the torture of various pregnancy reactions, but they may also suffer from hypertension during pregnancy, a condition that poses a threat to the health of both the pregnant woman and the fetus.
In fact, calcium deficiency is an important factor leading to pregnancy-induced hypertension. Clinical studies have shown that supplementing with calcium can reduce the incidence of pregnancy toxemia.
Therefore, supplementing calcium preparations is essential for pregnant mothers.
What should pregnant women eat to supplement their calcium intake? "What should pregnant women eat to supplement their calcium intake?" is undoubtedly a question of great concern for many expectant mothers.
In fact, besides taking calcium supplements under the guidance of a doctor, pregnant women should also consume more foods rich in calcium through their diet.
Then, what foods are good for pregnant women to supplement their calcium intake? Pregnant moms, gather around!
1. Dairy Products: Cow's milk, powdered milk, cheese, yogurt, and condensed milk are all excellent sources of calcium for pregnant women. A half-pound serving of cow's milk contains nearly 300mg of calcium. Besides calcium, these dairy products also contain a variety of amino acids, lactic acid, minerals, and vitamins, all of which help facilitate the full absorption and digestion of calcium in the body.
It is important to note that due to the fact that the fetus needs all its calcium from the mother, a pregnant woman's intake of calcium through food alone is far from sufficient to meet the rapid developmental needs of the fetus. Therefore, it is also necessary to reasonably choose calcium supplements to enhance calcium supplementation.
2. Seafood: Seaweed, shrimp shells, crucian carp, carp, silver carp, minnows, etc. All seafood contains rich calcium. Among them, seaweed and shrimp shells have the highest calcium content.
Soaking kelp with meat or making it a side dish after cooking can add calcium to the diet. A 25-gram serving of kelp provides 300 milligrams of calcium per day.
Shrimp skin is richer in calcium, containing 500 mg per 25g. Thus, it's a good idea to use shrimp skin in soup or to make fillings for calcium-rich meals.
3. Dairy Products: Soy products such as tofu, soy milk, tofu slices, tofu skin, and tofu fermented, are also rich in calcium, and soybeans are high in protein.
In 500g of soybean milk, there are 120mg calcium. In 150g tofu, the amount of calcium is as high as 500mg.
However, since the absorption rate of calcium in tofu is much lower than that in dairy products, milk remains the best source for calcium supplementation. Soybeans can be used as a supplementary source in addition to milk.
4. Vegetables: Chinese cabbage, rapeseed, fennel, coriander, celery and so on. You may not know that some vegetables also contain a large amount of calcium, such as 100g of mustard greens contains 230mg of calcium.
Broccoli, cabbage, carrot, fennel, celery and so on each 100g calcium content is also about 150mg.
However, the downside is that these vegetables generally contain oxalic acid and phytic acid, which can affect the absorption rate of calcium in the human body.
5. Nuts: Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chestnuts, and Chinese date palm nuts, all of which contain the essential calcium element required by the human body. Additionally, while consuming these nuts for calcium supplementation, you can also benefit from the highly beneficial unsaturated fatty acids in them, allowing you to enjoy clear and bright skin while taking care of your bones.
When is it best to supplement calcium for pregnant women? As a expectant mother, it is extremely important to ensure adequate calcium intake.
However, calcium supplementation must be timed correctly.
When should pregnant women start to take calcium supplements? Below, the Ma Family Dictionary will address these questions.
Q: When should a pregnant woman start to take calcium supplements? A: Taking calcium supplements during pregnancy is not about when it starts, nor is it about how much.
Under normal circumstances, it is recommended to start calcium supplementation for pregnant women as early as the fourth month of pregnancy.
At this time, expectant mothers should consume easily digestible foods such as biscuits, steamed buns, toast, and cakes. They should also eat a variety of fruits and vegetables rich in water, vitamins C, B-complex vitamins, and minerals like calcium and potassium to alleviate the discomfort of pregnancy.
*The medical information provided in this text is for reference only.
If you experience discomfort, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on the professional medical examination conducted in person.