Diet for Osteoporosis Prevention

Osteoporosis is a condition that causes your bones to become weak and break easily. Anyone can have osteoporosis but the condition is most common in older women. It may be possible to prevent osteoporosis by eating a healthy diet that is high in calcium. Your body loses calcium every day through normal bodily functions like growing hair and nails. If you do not get enough calcium in your diet, it is taken from your bones.

Calcium and Vitamin D

• The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that adults under the age of 50 get 1,000 mg of calcium each day. Adults over 50 years old need 1,200 mg. If you are able to get enough calcium from your food, you do not need to take a calcium supplement. If you do take supplemental calcium, you should limit your daily intake of calcium from all sources to a maximum of 2,500 mg. Vitamin D helps the body utilize calcium. Adults under 50 should get 400 to 800 IU daily. Adults over 50 should get 800 to 1,000 IU Vitamin D each day. Even if you don't need a calcium supplement, you may need supplemental Vitamin D. It is thought you can only absorb about 500 mg of calcium at one time so you should consume calcium-containing foods with each meal.

Foods to Eat

• Dairy foods are high in calcium. You should choose low-fat or nonfat milk and cheese. If you have problems with lactose intolerance, you can choose lactose-free milk or take enzyme pills like Lactaid. Dairy foods high in calcium are yogurt, milk, cheese, ice cream and pudding. Choose calcium-fortified foods like dry cereal, orange juice and soy milk with calcium added. Vegetables that are high in calcium include collards, turnip greens, bok choy, broccoli and kale. Tofu made with calcium sulfate is a good source of dietary calcium.

  Increase the amount of calcium in your diet by adding a spoonful of powdered milk to your foods. Prepare milk-based soups like chowders and cream of tomato. Serve desserts that are made from milk like frozen yogurt, custard, pudding and ice cream. Make smoothies for snacks by blending frozen berries with milk.

Foods to Limit

• Some foods interfere with calcium absorption and should be eaten in moderation. These include caffeine drinks, sodium, alcohol, oxalate, phytate and high-protein foods. Limit your sodium intake to 2,400 mg daily in order to prevent urinary excretion of calcium. Foods that have a high level of oxalate include rhubarb, beet greens and spinach. These foods tend to limit the absorption of the calcium they contain but do not appear to have an effect on calcium absorption of other foods.

  Pinto beans, peas, navy beans and wheat bran are all high in phytate. Before cooking beans or legumes, soak them for several hours, discard the water, then cook them in fresh water. Doing this reduces the phytate level. Wheat bran is a food that reduces calcium absorption in other foods eaten at the same time. If you eat milk on wheat bran cereal, you may not be able to absorb calcium in the milk.