Superfoods For Osteoporosis Prevention

Updated on April 20, 2020

The quality of our food is extremely important since it can affect our mood and health. If you want to improve your diet and make better food choices, take a look at the food that can help you prevent osteoporosis. 

To make your bones as strong as possible, you have to supply your body with nutritions every single day.  

It is recommended to focus on calcium, protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, and zink. Do you want to learn more about superfoods that can help you to prevent osteoporosis? You can find answers to all your questions in the article below:

Calcium

Calcium intake is crucial for bone tissue. You will be able to find this important nutrient in turnip greens, okra, Chinese cabbage, kale, mustard greens, collard greens, broccoli, and dandelion greens. 

According to the article at mealdeliveryexperts.com, a diet rich in calcium can help to improve cardiovascular function and muscle movement, lower blood pressure. 

Vitamin D

Alongside calcium, doctors also recommend combining it with vitamin D that helps to absorb calcium.

In order to get enough vitamin D from food, make sure to eat fatty fish (salmon, tuna, and mackerel), egg yolks, cheese, beef liver, cereals. Also, make sure to drink soy milk and fresh orange juice.

According to the Institute of Medicine, you need around 600 IU of the vitamin every day if you are below 70 years old. Older people should take 800 IU of vitamin D on a daily basis. 

Protein

To maintain healthy tissues, it’s important to add protein to your daily meals. Besides preventing osteoporosis, the protein will also help you to improve your nails, hair, muscles, and skin.

A list of foods with protein includes eggs, almonds, oats, chicken breast, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, lean beef, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and all types of fish.  

Vitamin C

To enhance the absorption of calcium, add vitamin C to your daily diet. Combining vitamin C and calcium will help you to prevent osteoporosis and maximize bone strength.

Make sure to eat foods rich in vitamin C on a daily basis. For example, you can add to your meals cantaloupe, green or yellow pepper, strawberries, cauliflower, kiwi, and tomatoes. 

Magnesium

It has been proven that magnesium boosts exercise performance, lowers blood pressure, reduces insulin resistance, and helps to build strong bones. 

To add more magnesium to your meal plan, consider eating halibuts, black beans, mackerel, avocado, dark chocolate, boiled spinach, dark chocolate, salmon, and cooked quinoa. 

Vitamin K

Vitamin K also can also help to build strong bones, improve cognitive and heart health. Studies show that people who lack Vitamin K are at a greater risk for hip fracture. 

To make you have enough vitamin K, you need to add Swiss chard, leafy green vegetables, and dairy products to your weekly meal plan. 

Zinc

Zinc is considered an important element for a healthy immune system. People who lack zinc are more prone to illness. A portion of zinc will not only help you to avoid porous bones, but it can also regulate your immune function, improve your memory, treat diarrhea, reduce the risk of inflammatory disease, and prevent macular degeneration (AMD) in older people.

Foods with the highest portion of zinc are raw oysters, green peas, pork loin, baked beans, plain yogurt, pecans, and wild rice.

Foods to avoid

Besides eating healthy foods, you should also be aware of what foods to avoid or at least limit from time to time. The first thing on the list of foods to avoid is high-salty foods. The thing is that high-salty foods such as ham, cottage cheese, pizza, and boxed potato casserole can cause your body to release calcium. 

Experts recommend limiting your salt intake to 2,300 mg per day (about one teaspoon). It will not only make your bones stronger, but it will also help you to reduce blood pressure and risk of coronary heart attack or a stroke.

Beans and legumes are also on the list of foods that don’t help to prevent osteoporosis. Beans can affect your body’s ability to absorb calcium due to a high level of phytates. If you like eating beans, consider soaking them in water for a few hours and draining them at first. This simple trick will help you to reduce the number of phytates. 

You should also remember about limiting caffeine and alcohol intake. It has been proven that caffeine can decrease calcium absorption. Drinking too much alcohol can also lead to bone loss.

Keep in mind, that drinks such as soda, tea, and various energy drinks also contain caffeine. 

The bottom line 

To prevent osteoporosis, make sure to eat foods that contain calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, and zink. 

Also, remember about limiting certain salty foods, alcohol, and caffeine. Sticking to a healthy diet is not a punishment but pleasure that can help you improve your mood and health! 

+ posts

Senior Outlook Today is your go-to source for information, inspiration, and connection as you navigate the later years of life. Our team of experts and writers is dedicated to providing relevant and engaging content for seniors, covering topics such as health and wellness, finances, technology and travel.

1 thought on “Superfoods For Osteoporosis Prevention”

Comments are closed.