Eating to Strengthen Your Bone Health

People living with osteoporosis know that it is essential to maintain the strength of their bones in order to be able to keep their health from getting worse. The two biggest building blocks to maintaining healthy bones are vitamin D and calcium. Of course you can get those two supplements as capsules in bottles at the drug store, but you can get them just as easily - and in a more beneficial form - if you take the time to make some modifications to your diet.

Nutritionists say that breakfast is one of the best times for giving your bones a boost, because most of the beverages and foods used in American breakfasts are fortified with calcium. Orange juice, cereal, milk, and yogurt are packed with calcium. The amount of calcium is very different among items and brands, so be sure to check labels to see how much you need, and compare brands to get the best for your money. Some cereals may contain such a hefty amount of calcium that a breakfast of cereal with milk and a glass of orange juice fortified with calcium may give you all the calcium you need for the day!

If you aren't a big breakfast person, don't lose heart - you have two other daily meals in which to feed your bones what they need. For instance, just one ounce of Swiss cheese has a whopping 270 mg of calcium, and cheddar cheese is right behind with 200 mg per ounce. Canned sardines are the cream of the crop, at 320 mg for just 3 ounces. Green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, and turnip greens are also great calcium sources. If you like soup for lunch, try cooking up a salmon stew and leave in those little tiny bones, because they have more calcium than the fish itself and they're soft and crumbly to eat.

Experts agree that calcium is essential for bone health, although they haven't agreed on just how much is needed for people with osteoporosis. Most doctors advise up to 1,500 mg of calcium each day, broken up into three doses of 500 mg each. The reason for breaking up the dosage is that the body can digest only 500 mg at a time, so if you take the entire 1,500 mg at once, two-thirds of the calcium will be flushed out of your body without being absorbed. So if you want to keep your bones strong, you can take a supplement, but making dietary changes can help make up the difference. Calcium can also increase the effects of any drugs you may be taking for osteoporosis, such as bisphosphonates and estrogen.

Although calcium is the heavy hitter when it comes to maintaining healthy bones, vitamin D runs a close second, because it is needed in order to absorb all the calcium those foods packed with calcium deliver to your system. Vitamin D deficiency is rising because most people don't spend much time out in the sunlight, which is where your skin normally absorbs vitamin D. And as people get older, the conversion from sunlight to vitamin D isn't as efficient. Although the standard recommended daily allowance of vitamin D for adults is 400 IU, the dosage should be higher when you have a problem with bone loss. Most people diagnosed with osteoporosis should be taking at least 800 IU each day, and even more if you live in a climate where there isn't a lot of sun. People who have dark skin and people living in cities with lots of air pollution also get less vitamin D from the sun, so they should get their levels checked and may want to take a supplement.

Calcium-rich foods usually are also high in vitamin D, so it's easy to pack a double punch for your bones by making some dietary changes. Just do what Mrs. Cleaver always told the Beaver - drink your milk!