OPTIMIZE YOUR HEALTH
Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention

Nutrition for the Prevention of Osteoporosis
By Sharon Hardy, RD, CDE

Keeping your bones strong throughout your lifetime can mean better posture and fewer fractures down the road. No matter what your age, it’s never too late to reduce bone loss. Osteoporosis is the thinning and brittling of bones due to either a lack of protein matrix that stores calcium or a shortage of dietary calcium (99 percent of the body’s supply of this vital mineral is in the bones and teeth.) It is important that your diet is not just balanced but also includes the particular ingredients you need for strong, healthy bones. That includes getting the right amounts of calcium and vitamin D.

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral your body requires for healthy bones, teeth, and overall functioning. Your body cannot produce calcium by itself. Calcium-containing foods, beverages and supplements are the only ways to get this essential mineral. Our needs for calcium change throughout our lifetime. Adults 19 - 50 years old need 1000 mg per day, while pregnant women need 1200 - 1500 mg per day. It is recommended that adults over 51 years of age consume 1200 - 1500 mg of calcium per day.

Is calcium really that important? Studies have shown that inadequate calcium intake is associated with low bone mass and an increased risk of fracture. Further studies have shown that calcium supplementation to osteoporosis patients can actually decrease bone loss and reduce risk of fracture.

Fortunately, calcium is abundant in our food supply. Calcium rich foods include:

• Dairy products such as low-fat or non-fat milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream
• Dark leafy green vegetables such as spinach, collard greens, bok choy and broccoli
• Almonds
• Fish
• Foods fortified with calcium, including orange juice, cereal, soy products and breads

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, sometimes called the sunshine vitamin, increases calcium absorption, and blood levels of vitamin D are directly related to strength of bones. Vitamin D can be obtained through the sun’s ultraviolet-B rays (UVB) as well as through foods and supplementation. Vitamin D deficiency is actually becoming more and more common due to the widespread use of sunscreen.

The National Institutes of Health recommends that adults should take from 400 - 600 IU of vitamin D every day. Dairy products, fish, oysters, and fortified cereals are also good sources of vitamin D.

Other Dietary Elements

Long-term Caffeine and excess soft drink intake has been linked to increased risk of hip fractures. Caffeine increases urinary loss of calcium, while phosphoric acid in soft drinks may contribute to bone loss by changing the acid balance in the blood. If you drink caffeinated soda, be sure to get adequate calcium and vitamin D from other sources in your diet.

No discussion about bone health would be complete without mentioning exercise. Consistent weight bearing exercise such as walking has been shown to increase bone density and prevent osteoporosis.

—May 2007

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