By Kyle Zagrodzky
Osteoporosis isn’t preventable through diet alone, but a balanced diet rich in certain power nutrients can contribute to better bone health and help other activities such as exercise and osteogenic stimulation become even more effective at retaining and producing new bone.
Most people know that dairy products including milk, cheese, and yogurt contain calcium and vitamin D that build stronger bones, but they don’t know that secret super foods such as pistachios contribute to better bone health as well. Dairy is great for bones, but lots of other foods contain additional essential vitamins and nutrients that lead to stronger, healthier bones at every stage of life.
Start your day with an egg.
Eggs contain valuable bone-nourishing nutrients, making them a great choice for breakfast or an omelet dinner. In USDA tests, egg yolks contained 41 IU of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. The body produces vitamin D during sun exposure, but if you’re concerned about skin cancer, eggs are one of the few foods that contain ample amounts of the core nutrient. Eggs also contain vitamins B6 and B12, which reduce levels of amino acids that have been linked to increased risk of hip fractures later in life. The folate in eggs is another B vitamin that helps prevent bone loss.
Embrace olive oil.
A recent study from Spain suggested that a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil might have a strong link to healthier bones. In the study, 127 men between ages 55 and 80 who ate a Mediterranean diet with lots of olive oil had higher levels of osteocalcin in their blood, a sign of healthy bones. Other similar studies have shown that bone disease occurs less frequently in the Mediterranean than in other parts of Europe. To work more olive oil into your diet, use it to cook with instead of vegetable oil, and add it to salad dressings for an extra flavor boost.
Savor some spinach.
Try substituting spinach for regular lettuce in your salads. Spinach contains tons of calcium; just one cup fulfills about 25 percent of an adult’s daily requirement. Spinach also contains natural fiber, iron, and vitamin A, a crucial nutrient for bone growth.
Dip into something good for you.
Slice up some fresh vegetables and go for a dip—guacamole and hummus are both great for bone health. Avocados are packed with vitamin K, which works closely with vitamin D to regulate osteoclast production. Osteoclasts remove old bone to make more room for healthy new bone deposits. Avocados contain boron, a mineral that helps bone metabolism and vitamin D efficiency, as well as copper, which produces collagen and elastin. The chickpeas in hummus contain iron, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K, all of which contribute to strong bones.
Go nuts.
Nuts such as walnuts and pistachios are incredibly beneficial to bone health. Just one fourth of a cup of walnuts has 2.25 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, 100 percent of the recommended daily value. Research has found that Omega-3 fatty acids increase calcium absorption, reduce calcium loss, and improve bone strength through better collagen creation, which simultaneously helps with muscle formation. Walnuts also deliver boron, copper, and manganese. Pistachios contain manganese, iron, copper, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, which all team up to create healthier bones.
Kyle Zagrodzky is president of OsteoStrong, the health and wellness system with that focuses on building stronger bones, muscles, and balance in less than 10 minutes a week using scientifically proven and patented osteogenic stimulation technology. OsteoStrong introduced a new era in modern wellness and anti-aging in 2011 and has helped thousands of clients between ages 8 and 98 improve strength, balance, endurance, and bone density. In 2014, the brand signed commitments with nine regional developers to launch 500 new locations across America. Today, OsteoStrong is becoming a brand with a global reach.
