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World Osteoporosis Day: 4 foods to eat and avoid if you are fighting this bone disease

On World Osteoporosis Day, we're recommending certain foods for bone that are good and certain foods that you should avoid.
foods for bone
These bone strengthening foods can do wonders for your bone health. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Garima Goyal Published: 20 Oct 2022, 12:30 pm IST
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Osteoporosis is a common and serious condition considering bone health determines the overall health of an individual. A person with healthy bones feels more energetic throughout the day. A healthy diet full of good quality protein, calcium and vitamin D helps to develop healthy bones and prevents osteoporosis, a significant public health issue. Under normal bone metabolism, a bone keeps on breaking and rebuilding. But if this metabolism gets disturbed, bones become weaker and fragile. This can happen due to the lack of proper nutrition, old age, menopause or certain medications. However, you can manage it with certain foods for bone that Can help make them stronger and healthier. On World Osteoporosis Day, let’s find out about them.

Here are 4 foodsfor healthier and stronger bones:

1. Foods rich in calcium

Research has always shown a positive association of calcium intake and bone mass and a low calcium diet leading to higher fracture rates. Dairy products are the best sources of calcium such as yoghurt, curd, milk, cheese etc and other sources include green leafy vegetables (amaranth, spinach, drumstick leaves, chinese cabbage, broccoli etc), soy products or fish.

2. Vitamin D rich foods

This sunshine vitamin is needed for calcium absorption, whose main source is sunlight. The dietary sources of this vitamin are egg yolk, fatty fish (salmon, trout, mackerel and tuna), cheese, organ meats as well as fortified foods such as milk, orange juice, margarine and cereals. So, add these foods to your diet for healthy bones.

foods for bone
Keep a check on your vitamin D levels. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

3. Good quality Protein sources

Research has shown the correlation between low protein intake and higher rates of fractures. Protein adds to the bone mineral density. Having nuts and seeds, dairy products, pulses and legumes, meat, fish, eggs and soy products aid in adding good quality protein to the diet. But always keep in mind to not overdo protein intake as excess of protein also leads to calcium excretion in the urine.

4. Fruits and vegetables

According to research, higher intake of fruits and vegetables causes high bone mass due to the micronutrients present in them such as Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Magnesium, Potassium and carotenoids. They also lower the chances of fractures.

Here are 4 foods which can lead to side effects on bone health:

1. Low salt intake

Excess of salt in the diet causes the calcium excretion from kidneys (calciuria). So have low table salt and packaged foods. Still, it needs more extensive research.

2. Limit Alcohol intake

The body’s absorption of calcium and Vitamin D, the two key nutrients for bone health, gets affected by the alcohol consumption. The male hormone testosterone and the female hormone estrogen get reduced by alcohol intake and leads to osteoporosis.

foods for bone
Alcohol can lead to cell damage. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

3. Oxalate and phytate rich foods

Phytate present in beans, legumes, whole wheat and oxalates present in spinach,beans, soy products and beets interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium. Oxalate and phytate bind with calcium in the body and excrete it out. So, the best technique to avoid this is to soak such foods in water for several hours and then cook them in freshwater.

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Also, read: Worried about your bone health? Then eliminate these 5 foods from your diet right away

4. Caffeine

Colas and coffee have detrimental effects on kidney health by causing calciuria. In fact, they are known for reduced bone mass and increased fracture risk in some cases.

So, eat healthy for better bone health!

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About the Author

Garima Goyal is a registered dietician from Ludhiana and has an experience of over 8 years. She is also a certified diabetes educator and can handle complications related to diabetes such as hypoglyecima and kidney diseases. She also provides plans for hospital patients, weight management, blood pressure, cholesterol, typhoid, child nutrition and sports nutrition. She is a keto dietician as well and specialises in IBS and IBD diets. ...Read More

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