Calcium is one of the minerals that plays an important role in the growth and development of children. This mineral is needed so that the bones become strong and dense. Of course, lack of calcium can cause growth disorders in your little one. Therefore, you must pay attention to the child's calcium needs every day. Not only that, you also need to know what factors influence calcium absorption in the body. If calcium intake is good, but the absorption is not optimal, the child may experience a lack of calcium. What are the factors of a child's calcium absorption?
What are the factors that affect children's calcium absorption?
The main function of calcium is to maintain bone density, so that about 98 percent of calcium is in the bone. According to the Ministry of Health, children's calcium needs are around 1,000-1,200 mg per day. Your child's calcium needs can be fulfilled by giving him high calcium foods such as:
- Egg
- Milk and dairy products
- Sea fish such as sardines, salmon, and anchovy
- Nuts like soybeans and red beans
In fact, in children, the amount of calcium absorbed from food is around 50-70 percent, so you must pay attention to various factors that affect calcium absorption in children.
1. How to cook
How to cook does not make calcium absorption slow or not, but precisely the wrong cooking method will reduce the amount of calcium in food. This will reduce the level of calcium absorption of children.
For example, if you cook vegetables from a calcium source for a long time, this will affect the amount of calcium and other minerals in it.
2. Eating too much food containing sodium (salt)
If you often give children packaged foods and use a lot of sodium (salt) in your baby's food, it might have an impact on the absorption of calcium in his body. Yes, the sodium content in packaged foods and salt is quite high. In fact, too much sodium in the body can cause the kidneys to release more calcium in the urine.
This makes calcium which should be stored in the body of the little one and absorbed by the bones, instead it is wasted through urine due to sodium. Therefore, you should avoid using too much salt and limit consumption of packaged foods.
3. Lack of vitamin D
You could say, vitamin D and calcium are pairs of micronutrients that complement each other. The body cannot absorb calcium optimally if it does not have enough vitamin D. So, the more vitamins you get from the sun will help absorb calcium when in the intestine.
When the body has enough vitamin D, there will be lots of calcium absorbed. Conversely, if your child does not have enough vitamin D, then absorbed calcium is limited. In addition to relying on sunlight, you can give your child some types of foods that contain vitamin D, such as egg yolks, beef liver, and shrimp.
4. Consume too much food high in phosphorus
Actually, this phosphorus mineral is also needed by the body, but only in small amounts. Too much phosphorus in the body will actually interfere with calcium absorption. Calcium that your child gets from food, will not enter the bone but is removed by the body through urine.
Examples of foods or drinks that contain high phosphorus and should be avoided are soft drinks. Not only phosphorus, some soft drinks contain caffeine which will also affect children's calcium absorption.
5. Your child has certain health problems
If a child has lactose intolerance, this causes him to be unable to consume milk and dairy products that are relied on as high calcium foods. These conditions make your child unable to absorb calcium to the fullest.
However, calm down if your child has this disorder, you can still give him other calcium source foods. Or, if necessary give your child a calcium supplement. However, you should consult with your pediatrician first.