Osteoporosis develops in hiding for many years. Gradually, it destroys the skeletal system and leads to serious fractures. In Poland, about 3 million people suffer from it, and experts warn that if we do not change our lifestyle, this number will grow rapidly. What is for the he alth of your bones?

Bone mass builds up by 20-25. years of age, reaching a peak level of about thirty. Later it gradually starts to decline. This process is significantly accelerated in postmenopausal women and in andropausal men, which is associated with reduced production of sex hormones and poorer absorption of calcium, the main building block of bone.

If bone loss outweighs its recovery, osteoporosis develops. Both in the prevention and treatment of this disease, bones must be well nourished.

Diet for strong bones: calcium

Studies show that people who consume milk and milk products have a higher bone mineral density and a lower risk of fractures. Dairy products are the most concentrated source of calcium and cause the release of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which stimulates cell division.

This is especially beneficial in children because it promotes bone formation. In adults, however, the protective effect of dairy products on the risk of fractures is not as strong as it is commonly believed.

The latest recommendations of the Food and Nutrition Institute are:

  • 1,300 mg calcium from 10 to 18 years of age,
  • 1000 mg of calcium daily until fifty,
  • 1,200 mg daily for ages 50 and over.
Worth knowing

It strengthens your bones

  • milk and its products (especially in childhood), calcium fortified plant milks, cruciferous vegetables (including Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli), almonds, sesame, poppy seeds, dried figs,
  • vitamin D supplements (fall, winter), sun (spring, summer),
  • meat, fish, legumes,
  • vegetables and fruits with particular emphasis on leafy greens, which provide vitamin K.

Diet for strong bones: protein

The building material of bones is approx. 50% of collagen, i.e. protein. Until recently, it was believed that high-protein diets negatively affect bone he alth because animal protein acidifies and leaches calcium from bones. The latest scientific publications show that this is not true.

Protein is thereessential for bone he alth, and too little of it in the diet increases the risk of fractures, which is especially important in the elderly. In addition, low consumption of this nutrient reduces calcium absorption and increases the concentration of parathyroid hormone, which promotes the loss of calcium from the bones.

A high amount of protein is unfavorable only when we do not consume enough calcium and vitamin D. It is recommended to consume 0.8 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight, but people with osteoporosis - a minimum of 1-1.2 g per 1 kg of body weight.

Diet for strong bones: vegetables and fruits

They help to maintain the acid-base balance in the body, which is important especially in the case of kidney problems - they are not able to neutralize metabolic acids. Laboratory studies in animals have shown that metabolic acidosis (too much acid in the blood) activates osteoclasts, the cells that eat bones.

It is prevented by a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, which are alkaline and at the same time reduce the excretion of calcium in the urine. But that's not all - phytochemicals (including antioxidants) contained in vegetables and fruits have anti-inflammatory properties, which is beneficial for osteoblasts (bone-building cells).

One of the largest studies on the effects of nutrition on bone, the Aberdeen Prospective Osteoporosis Screening Study (APOSS), showed that the more vegetables and fruits women consumed, the greater the bone mineral density and the more resistant to bone resorption, i.e. the natural process of bone dissolution in every living organism.

Diet for strong bones: vitamins D and K

The former increases the absorption of calcium from food and inhibits the release of parathyroid hormone (it flushes calcium from the bones when this vitamin is deficient). Vitamin D is found in small amounts, mainly in oily marine fish. However, there is not enough of it to cover the body's needs. The sun is more important in this respect - under the influence of its rays, vitamin D is synthesized in our skin.

To get the right dose of this vitamin, from the end of April to the end of September, you have to go out in the sun between 10 and 15 minutes for at least 15 minutes, revealing 18% of your body. The problem appears in the fall and winter period - the sun is too low and skin synthesis does not take place. Therefore, the national consultant recommends from September to April, vitamin D supplementation in a dose of 800-2000 IU. per day in adults. In the treatment of osteoporosis, the dose is determined by the doctor after prior examination of the vitamin D concentration in the body.

Equally important, vitamin K is essential for the binding of minerals in bones. In Japan, inIn osteoporosis therapy, high doses of vitamin K2 are used because studies have shown that they have an effect comparable to that of osteoporotic drugs. However, vitamin K supplementation must be agreed with the doctor, because, inter alia, it reacts with anticoagulants.

Diet for strong bones: what to avoid?

A diet that benefits bones is half the battle. To prevent osteoporosis, avoid what is harmful to them:

  • Alcohol- reduces calcium absorption, harms the liver, which activates vitamin D. In addition, it increases the concentration of, for example, cortisol and parathyroid hormone, which cause bone loss. More than 2 drinks a day has been shown to increase bone loss.
  • Carbonated cola drinks- contain a lot of phosphorus, which binds to calcium and worsens its absorption.
  • Caffeine- its excess affects the loss of calcium in the urine - for each 100 mg of caffeine consumed (this is the amount in a cup of coffee), about 6 mg of calcium is lost.
  • S alt- increases the excretion of calcium in the urine. The average amount of sodium we consume is about 3,700 mg, and we should eat no more than 2,300 mg. 100 g of sausage contains 1131 mg of sodium, and in the same amount of corn flakes - 949 mg.
  • Cigarettes- double the risk of bone loss and fractures. They weaken the action of hormones responsible for bone he alth, including estrogen. They cause inflammation that destroys the cells that build bone.
  • Low body weight- contributes to low bone mineral density because bones respond to gravity - they become stronger due to the load. Osteoporosis is more common in anorexic women and young women who are constantly slimming.
Worth knowing

Weekly menu for strong bones

Monday

1200 mg Ca

  • Breakfast:a glass of skimmed natural yoghurt with 3 tablespoons of corn flakes, a tablespoon of raisins and a few chopped nuts, an apple, a glass of calcium-enriched orange juice
  • Second breakfast : a pack of skim granulated cheese with 6 strawberries
  • Lunch:3 medium boiled potatoes, 100 g hake fillet stewed in a tablespoon of rapeseed oil or olive oil, 3 tablespoons chopped white cabbage with vinaigrette, 3 tablespoons grated carrots stewed on a tablespoon sunflower oil, a glass of kefir
  • Dinner:a slice of graham with a paste grated from 2 slices of white lean cheese and 3 canned sprats, a leaf of lettuce, half a red pepper, a glass of blackcurrant juice

Tuesday

1,300 mg Ca

  • Breakfast:a glass of plain yogurt with 6 chopped radishes, 2 slices of crispbread, a glass of fruit tea
  • Second breakfast:a slice of graham with a thin slice of skimmed yellow cheese, pear
  • Lunch:half a cup of cooked rice, 2 slices of roasted pork loin, half of broccoli, 3 tablespoons of grated carrot seasoned with lemon juice, a glass of buttermilk
  • Dinner:a glass of yogurt mixed with a glass of raspberries, 2 slices of crispbread, a glass of apple juice

Wednesday

1200 mg Ca

  • Breakfast:2 slices of graham, each with 2 slices of turkey ham, half a long cucumber, a glass of fruit tea
  • Second breakfast:glass of natural yoghurt, 3 mandarins
  • Lunch:2/3 cup of cooked pasta, a slice of lean roast beef, 3 tablespoons of beetroot fried in a tablespoon of oil, 3 tablespoons of grated turnip salad and a tablespoon of raisins, a glass of natural yogurt
  • Dinner:2 slices of crispbread, a slice of yellow skim cheese, a tablespoon of chopped parsley, a tomato, a glass of calcium-enriched orange juice

Thursday

1200 mg Ca

  • Breakfast:A packet of fruit yoghurt (175 g) with 3 tablespoons of corn flakes, kiwi, a glass of fruit tea
  • Second breakfast:a glass of natural yoghurt, a slice of Wrocław roll, a slice of poultry tenderloin, tomato
  • Lunch:2 medium-sized boiled potatoes, 100 g of cod fillet stewed on a tablespoon of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of chopped carrots, celery and parsley, 3 tablespoons of boiled green beans, salad with half red pepper and a tablespoon of chives, a glass of kefir
  • Dinner:2 slices of graham with a teaspoon of butter, cottage cheese made of 2 slices of lean white cheese and a little natural yogurt (125 g), half a grapefruit, a glass of still mineral water

Friday

1200 mg Ca

  • Breakfast:a packet of skimmed grain cheese with a tablespoon of chopped parsley, a leaf of lettuce, 2 slices of crispbread, a glass of fruit tea
  • Second breakfast:a slice of graham with a teaspoon of butter, 2 slices of Sopot tenderloin, a tomato, a glass of kefir
  • Lunch:2 medium-sized boiled potatoes, 2 fried eggs, 5 tablespoons of canned green peas, half a pepper salad with a tablespoon of chives, a glass of natural yogurt
  • Dinner:paste of 4 slices of lean whitecheese, 5 smoked sprats, tablespoons of tomato paste, tablespoons of chopped parsley and dried basil; 2 slices of crispbread, pickled cucumber, a glass of calcium-enriched orange juice

Saturday

1200 mg Ca

  • Breakfast:a slice of graham with a teaspoon of butter, 2 slices of chicken sirloin, an orange, a glass of kefir
  • Second breakfast:glass of natural yoghurt, pear
  • Lunch:2 large potatoes baked in foil, a package of skimmed grain cheese with a clove of chopped garlic and a spoon of dill, a small head of lettuce with half a sliced ​​red pepper and vinaigrette, a glass of orange juice enriched with calcium
  • Dinner:salad made of 1/3 smoked mackerel with a tablespoon of chopped onion, a tablespoon of parsley and lemon juice, tomato, 2 slices of crispbread, a glass of kefir

Sunday

1200 mg Ca

  • Breakfast:2 slices of graham, 2 slices of cheese (reduced fat), kiwi, a glass of fruit tea
  • Second breakfast:2 slices of crispbread, 2 tablespoons of herb cottage cheese, 2 leaves of lettuce, tomato, a glass of calcium-enriched orange juice
  • Lunch:2 medium-sized boiled potatoes, 100 g of chicken breast stewed in a tablespoon of rapeseed oil, 3 tablespoons of grated carrots, half of broccoli, a glass of kefir
  • Dinner:salad with 2 mandarins, 10 grapes, half a grapefruit and a little natural yogurt (125 g), a glass of carbonated mineral water

Author of the menu: dr hab. Małgorzata Drywien, Department of Human Nutrition, SGGW, Warsaw

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