Nourish Yourself~Bone Health

A frequent question that I get asked by my chiropractic patients is, What can I do to make sure my diet supports my bone health and bone density? Here's some basic information to make sure you are getting the minimal levels required.  

Is eating for “bone health” a concern for you? According to New York's Center for osteoporosis, 1 in 2 women over 50 will break a bone due to low bone mass or osteoporosis. While many of us have grown up on the idea that drinking milk is essential to have strong bones when we get older, and necessary so we don't develop osteopenia or osteoporosis. (“Brittle bones”), let's explore other areas of our diet where we may be able to get calcium and other factors contributing to bone health. Dairy does contain calcium and can be part of a healthy diet, but there may also be concerns with digestion or absorption for some people.

The current Canadian Food Guide (2019) advises us to fill half of our plate with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with starches or grains and a quarter with protein. Dairy is included now as a protein. Osteoporosis Canada recommends an adult consumption of 1000mg of calcium and 400-1000IU of Vitamin D.

Studies on milk and dairy & their link to positive or negative health benefits can be confusing, with many assumptions based on correlation and not causation. For general reference, one glass of milk is 300 mg (just under 1/3 of our recommended amount of Calcium) and it is important to include multiple dietary sources of calcium such as: cheese, yogurt, greens (collards, kale), soy beans, figs, broccoli, oranges, sardines, salmon. It is especially important to include fruits and vegetables for half of our daily dietary consumption overall. 

Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption & maintains adequate blood levels of calcium and phosphate to allow for normal bone remineralization. In our northern climate, it is important to be aware that we may not produce enough Vitamin D naturally, and adequate levels are part of a healthy lifestyle.

While perhaps not as clearly connected to bone density, Osteoporosis Canada does include magnesium as contributing to bone health. (link: https://www.osteoporosis.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013-03-08-POSTED-Beyond-the-Break_Nutrients-fo-Bone-Health-SAtkinson.pdf Food sources for mg include almonds, cashews, beans, bran, dark green, leafy vegetables, halibut, pumpkin seeds, seaweed, soy beans & tofu.

Good fats (Omega-3 fatty acids & monounsaturated fats) are also part of a healthy diet! For example, the “Greek diet”-olive oil, beans, legumes, fish & minimal red meat appears connected to people who have the strongest bone density world wide! The science may not be as clear on the fat connection to our bone health: “Animal studies have shown that a higher dietary omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids ratio is associated with beneficial effects on bone health. In spite of increasing evidence of the positive effects of dietary fats on bone metabolism from animal and in vitro studies, the few studies conducted in humans do not allow us to draw a definitive conclusion on their usefulness in clinical practice.”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20041817

In general, healthy eating will support bone health while diet pills or eating disorders or deprivation can decrease body protein & weaken bones. Also good to be aware of ... smoking-nicotine and free radicals increase risk of bone fracture, caffeine consumption greater then 300 mg per day (equivalent to 2 cups of coffee) may increase your risk of bone density concern, and both high salt and high alcohol consumption may affect bone health.

Aside from diet, a healthy lifestyle including weight bearing activity can support healthy bones. One example: Lifting weights combined with high intensity exercise=15% higher bone density; resistance training strengthens bones and improves balance and coordination to prevent trips and falls. One study of Yoga 10 min per day over 2 years (HATHA yoga) found that it strengthened bones of spine & skeletal bones and reduced risk of fractures due to accidental falls.

I hope this information on diet and exercise confirms many of the things you are doing to support a healthy lifestyle and healthy bone density. Please feel free to chat with me if you have any questions.