Diet for Osteoporosis

A diet for osteoporosis entails having a sufficient intake of calcium as well as other bone-healthy nutrients, whether you've already been diagnosed with osteoporosis or just have a lot of the risk factors associated with the disease and want to try to prevent it.

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is when bones get very brittle and can easily break. It is common to develop the disease in your hips and legs.

Osteoporosis affects lots of older women in particular. However, nowadays younger people are prone to health problems due to high levels of obesity and crash dieting. The treatment of osteoporosis is preventative, consisting of a diet high in calcium and undertaking exercises which bear weight on the bones to keep them strong and healthy.

Basics of the Osteoporosis Diet

One of the things you will hear from your G.P is eat the right foods to treat and prevent osteoporosis, foods high in calcium and Vitamin D, both of which are vital for strong bones. The body needs vitamin D in order to process calcium, hence, taking them together is sensible.

It is of course possible to have calcium and Vitamin D supplements. However, it is more beneficial getting calcium and Vitamin D from actual foods through a diet for osteoporosis. Dairy products are of course high in calcium. However, there are lots of other foods high in calcium including:

  • Turnips
  • Spinach, kale and all other greens
  • Broccoli
  • Salmon
  • Sardines
  • Tofu

Foods high in vitamin D include:

  • Fortified milk
  • Tuna, halibut, herring, salmon
  • Fish oil
  • Egg yolks
  • Liver
  • Orange juice

There are also lots of products strengthened with Vitamin D, calcium, if not both.

Further Diet Tips for Osteoporosis

As well as adding more calcium and vitamin D into your diet, you ought to eat a well balanced diet, especially if you have not been doing so previously. So try to cut out fatty meats as well as processed foods, eat more fruits and veg, and low-fat dairy.

Attempt to eat a minimum of one source of calcium and one of vitamin D at each and every meal, as your body is only able to process a specific amount of calcium in one go. So, for breakfast, you could have eggs and yogurt; you could add spinach to a lunch time salad with a bit of fish. Ensure you drink fortified milk at snack time, and so on.

Exercise

A healthy diet for osteoporosis is vital. It also makes good sense to do at least some moderate exercise, particularly if you have not in the past. Ensure you consult with your G.P prior to starting to exercise, particularly if you have had fractures.

Exercise for someone with osteoporosis is not about expending each week at the gym. You can just walk to a neighbour’s house or do some light exercises with slight dumbbells.

It is crucial to opt for weight-bearing exercises, where you are utilising your body weight as opposed to carrying your weight along (for example, when you ride a bike or swim). A 30-minute walk practically every day of the week alongside simple strength-training exercises with light dumbbells can aid the building of bone mass, providing you with better balance, which is important for preventing falls.

Yoga is also a great way of strengthening muscles, improving balance as well as coordination. Thus you are less less likely to fall and you are going to be more likely to pick yourself back up should you fall over.

Osteoporosis does not bespeak the end of physical activity. The diagnosis may lead to a new phase of life whereby you are more mindful of nurturing your body, your body movements and what you put into your body.