It’s important to understand how food affects your body, especially when it comes to your bones. Learning about foods that are rich in calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients can be important if you want your bones to remain strong for your lifetime. A well-balanced diet of dairy, fish, fruits, and veggies should get you the nutrients you need to everyday, but you might also have to include vitamins and other supplements. Here is a list of foods for bone health provided by the National Osteoporosis Foundation:
Dairy
- Low-fat or non-fat milk
- Yogurt
- Cheese
- Fish
- Salmon
- Canned sardines
- Tuna
Fruits and Vegetables
- Calcium: Collard greens, kale, okra, mustard greens, broccoli
- Magnesium: Spinach, beets, tomato, artichokes, plantains, sweet potatoes, raisins
- Potassium: Papaya, oranges, bananas, prunes
- Vitamin C: Red and green peppers, oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, brussels sprouts, pineapples
- Vitamin K: Dark leafy greens
Fortified Foods
Calcium and vitamin D are sometimes added to certain brands of juice, breakfast food, milk alternatives, cereal, snack foods, and bread.
(this list is comprised of information provided by https://www.nof.org)
According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis and low bone mass are currently estimated to be a major public health threat for almost 44 million U.S. women and men aged 50 and older. This is the reason it is important to consume a diet high in vegetables, protein and calcium, which has been shown to help create healthy bones during our adolescent years and protect the bone mass of young adults and older women. It’s also a great idea to implement weight and resistance training exercises, which can help increase bone formation during bone growth and protect our bones when we are older. It is also important to note that diets that provide very little calories have been found to reduce bone density, when with you’re exercising. At O’Connor Health Center in Redwood City, Los Altos, and San Jose, our job is to help you figure out the perfect diet that fit your health goals. We understand that it is difficult to know what you should or shouldn’t be consuming and we strive to educate our clients on this knowledge. Call us at (650) 334-1010 to set up a consultation!