Best (& Worst) Foods to Prevent Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis occurs when we start to lose bone mass or we stop making enough bone mass and our bones become weak and brittle. This decrease in the density of our bones puts us at increased risks of fractures.
There are many factors that can contribute to osteoporosis, including age, decreased estrogen levels, calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies, family history, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, excessive alcohol use, certain medical conditions (e.g.autoimmune disease and gastrointestinal disorders) and long-term use of certain medications like corticosteroids.
In this post, I’m only going to address the best and worst foods to avoid or manage osteoporosis, which not surprisingly, are many of the foods that are often recommended to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
Some of the best foods to minimize your risk of osteoporosis include:
Leafy Green Vegetables: Kale, spinach, broccoli and collard greens are all excellent sources of calcium and vitamin K, which are important for bone health.
Fatty Fish: Salmon, sardines, and mackerel are great sources of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which contribute to bone health.
Beans and Legumes: Soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, and black beans all contain calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients beneficial for bone health.
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds are high in calcium, magnesium, and omega-3.
Dairy Products (e.g. yogurt, milk, cheese) are also good sources of calcium. Beware of the overall fat content when eating or drinking these foods however AND know that dairy can be inflammatory to your body so don’t overdo it.
Fortified Whole Grains can also help to supplement your calcium and vitamin D intake.
Fruits: While fruits are not a direct source of calcium, they provide other essential nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants that support bone health. Citrus fruits, berries, and bananas are good options.
Now that you know the best foods to eat in order to limit your risk of osteoporosis, let’s take a look at the worst foods for bone health.
Foods and Beverages that increase your risk of osteoporosis include:
Carbonated Drinks: Regularly drinking soda, like coke or pepsi (yes even diet soda) can interfere with calcium absorption in your body due to the high levels of phosphoric acid found in these dark colored beverages.
Alcohol: Chronic or excessive drinking also interferes with calcium absorption, which reduces bone density.
Processed Foods: Most of these foods are very high in sodium which can lead to increased calcium loss through urine.
Excessive Caffeine: More than 4 cups of coffee per day can also increase your calcium loss through urine.
Red Meat: Eating a lot of red meat can impact bone loss due to its high sulfur content.
Sugar: Too much sugar in our bodies disrupts our natural pH levels and can result in calcium loss from bones when our bodies try to reduce the acidity caused by the excess sugar intake.
High Oxalate Foods: These are foods like spinach, chard, beet greens and rhubarb, which are very healthy in moderate amounts. If you eat too many of them however, they can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb calcium.
The bottom line is that you can eat any food or beverage in moderation but too much often causes problems.
Knowing what impact food and drinks have on your body can also help you to make better choices more often.
Action Steps:
Select one food from the healthy food list and try to incorporate it into your diet this week.
Pick one of the foods or beverages from the unhealthy list and try to avoid it this week.
