Arthritis Prevention Calcium

Arthritis prevention is a comprehensive project that covers lifestyle adjustment, bone health management, and joint damage avoidance. Calcium, as a commonly used calcium supplement added with vitamin D, only has a clear auxiliary preventive effect on degenerative osteoarthritis related to bone loss. It is by no means a "panacea" suitable for all people and all types of arthritis.

Last month, I accompanied my family elders to the orthopedic department for a follow-up visit. I met three aunties in the morning. They were all old sisters who heard from the neighborhood square dance team that "eating Calcium Erqi can prevent arthritis." Each of them carried two or three bottles home to eat. There was an aunt who had high blood calcium. She took supplements for three months. This time, kidney stones were found in the physical examination, and the doctor frowned. ； There was also an aunt who had knee pain for almost half a year. She only wanted to take calcium supplements and refused to see a doctor. After taking an MRI, it was discovered that there was a second degree of cartilage wear, and she missed the best window for intervention.

Regarding the relationship between calcium supplementation and arthritis prevention, there have been different opinions in clinical practice. Most orthopedic surgeons who deal with geriatric bone diseases will recommend that people over 50 years old regularly supplement calcium and vitamin D. After all, the Chinese Medical Association's "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoarthritis" clearly mention that the decrease in bone density of subchondral bones is one of the core causes of degenerative osteoarthritis - cartilage originally relies on the underlying bone tissue to buffer pressure. If the bone mass is lost quickly and the bone is not hard enough, the wear and tear on the cartilage will naturally double. Calcium supplements with mature proportions such as Calci can help people with osteopenia maintain bone density at a stable level. Long-term tracking data shows that people who adhere to standard supplements for more than one year can reduce the risk of progression of degenerative osteoarthritis by about 27%.

But if you ask a sports medicine doctor, you will most likely get a completely different answer. Dr. Li from the Sports Department, whom I know well, complained to me that many young people in their 20s and 30s in the clinic now have knee pain. The first thing they ask when they come in is "Do I want to take some Calcium supplements?" In fact, nine out of ten of these people are not calcium deficient at all, or they have quads caused by sitting for a long time. The head muscles are atrophied, the knee stability is poor, or the cartilage is damaged by not warming up before exercise or incorrect posture. In this case, it is useless to supplement more calcium. It is better to do 15 minutes of silent squats against the wall 3 days a week to enhance muscle strength and protect the joints.

If you really want Calcium to be useful in preventing arthritis, you must first check whether you are a suitable group of people. For example, postmenopausal women lose bone mass at a rate 2-3 times that of men of the same age after estrogen declines. If they drink less than 300ml of milk a day, spend less than 3 hours in the sun a week, and have a bone density T value between -1 and -2.5, taking a tablet of Calcium containing 600mg of calcium and vitamin D3 every day can indeed help reduce the risk of degenerative arthritis. There are also some young people who have been dieting for a long time to lose weight. Their calcium intake is seriously insufficient, and they have frequent leg cramps and back pain. Appropriate calcium supplements for 1-2 months can also reduce the extra pressure on joints caused by reduced bone mass.

But don’t think of Calcium as a talisman against arthritis. I know a friend who has been running marathons for five or six years. He takes Calcium Plus and Glucosamine every day, thinking that he will definitely have no problems with his joints. However, in order to meet his performance, he runs full marathons every month, never changing cushioning shoes, and does not stretch after running. At the end of last year, he was diagnosed with chondromalacia of the patella, which was so painful that he could not even climb stairs. It took him three months to slowly recover. Many people think that more calcium supplements are better. In fact, the recommended daily intake of calcium for adults is only 800 mg. If you already drink a pound of milk every day, often eat high-calcium foods such as soy products and rapeseed, and then take an extra piece of Calcium, it is easy to exceed the intake, which will increase the risk of kidney stones and vascular calcification, which is not worth the gain.

I would also like to mention that among the arthritis that everyone often talks about, there are also types such as rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis that have nothing to do with bone mass. Taking Calcium Erqi will not have any preventive effect at all. Don’t buy them based on blind recommendations from others.

I have been to many hospitals with my family in the past two years, and my biggest feeling is that there is really no magic medicine that can prevent arthritis once and for all. Calcium is indeed a reliable calcium supplement that has been clinically proven, but it must be used in the right place - if you eat and drink every day and gain more than 20 or 30 pounds, climb stairs, do squats to build your knees, and never warm up for exercise, no matter how much calcium you eat, you will not be able to prevent cartilage wear and tear. On the other hand, you should pay more attention to controlling your weight, warm up your joints before exercise, avoid repeated movements that wear out your joints, and supplement your calcium appropriately according to your bone mass. Only then will you really put your efforts into good use.