healthy food for strong bones

 Natural Ways to Build Healthy Bones

Despite dairy foods and fatty fish being a great source of bone-healthy nutrients, it is entirely possible to nourish your bones if you are vegan or vegetarian. This is mainly because without adequate vitamin D, the body struggles to absorb the almighty calcium. But there are also a few foods that help out with small amounts of vitamin D. You can also meet your needs with a plant-forward diet and foods like:

Kale

Broccoli

Chinese cabbage

Soft-boned fish like sardines and salmon

Grains

Tofu

Fortified bread, cereal, and tortillas

Fortified orange juice

Fortified plant-based milks

How much calcium do you need?

Those who eat dairy generally meet their daily calcium goals. In senior years, bone mass loss is made worse by the fact that older people tend to absorb less calcium from their diet. You need to consume several servings of vitamin D-rich foods every day to meet your needs, and for most people, that source is fortified milk. Lifting weights and weight-bearing exercises like walking, climbing stairs, and dancing strengthen bones.

Foods high in calcium

Dairy foods such as milk, cheese, cream, and yogurt pack the most calcium, but dairy foods aren’t the only source of calcium. You basically get a whole new skeleton every 10 years.

A healthy diet can help with bone mineralization and the bone-rebuilding process. Bones need proper nourishment to maintain their strength and avoid osteoporosis — a condition that occurs when bones lose mineral density, which makes them fragile and at risk of fractures.

So, what is the best diet for bone health?

Research shows that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry and fish, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy products while limiting soft drinks, alcohol, fried foods, meat, and processed products, sweets, desserts, and refined grains is ideal for bone health.

Other foods that supply vitamin D are:

Fatty fish like trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel

Fish liver oil

White mushrooms

Beef liver

Egg yolks

Fortified cereal

Fortified juice

For children who follow a milk-free diet, drinking fortified soy milk or other fortified drinks can help. Cod liver oils a few times per week can help with vitamin D levels too. Without them, we’d look like water balloons.

But the presence of bones alone isn’t enough. Your healthcare provider might also recommend supplements, though these can be tricky as the FDA does not carefully regulate them.

Let’s take a closer look at how to eat for a healthy skeleton.

Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Look for:

Magnesium from leafy greens, legumes, and dairy

Omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed and fatty fish

Phosphorus from eggs, meat, grains, and vegetables

Zinc from beans, eggs, meat, and seafood

Potassium found in fruits, vegetables, lentils, dairy, and meat

Vitamin C is abundant in citrus and other fruits and vegetables

Vitamin K from green vegetables, vegetable oils, meat, cheese, and eggs

Folate from fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, peas, and beef liver

Vitamin A

Vitamin A might have a Goldilocks effect on bone health.

Recommended dietary allowances for vitamin D are as follows:

Age Recommended daily intake

0-12 months 10 mcg

1-70 years 15 mcg

70+ 20 mcg

Like with calcium, keep in mind these recommendations may be different if you are pregnant or lactating.

What to know about vitamin D deficiencies

Vitamin D deficiency is a public health challenge worldwide for all age groups. In women, who start with less bone mass than men, bone loss speeds up right after menopause. It’s particularly common among people with milk allergies, children under age 5, people with dark skin, and older adults.

Most Americans fall short of the dietary recommendations. It is so important that when the body is deficient, it pulls calcium out of the bones.

People following a plant-based diet and the growing number of adolescents who don’t consume dairy are at a higher risk of calcium deficiency. Calcium and vitamin D work together for bone health, but more foods — and exercise — contribute.

Just like muscles, bones respond to exercise by getting stronger. Some studies have linked bone pain and lower bone density with increased intake of A vitamins — which usually comes from supplements rather than your diet. Be sure to discuss how much calcium you need with your healthcare provider. If you follow a plant-based diet, look to plant sources or fortified juices, cereals, and plant-based milks. Bones give our bodies structure.

Calcium blockers include:

Alcohol

Caffeine

Sugar-sweetened beverages

Phytic acid found in wheat bran, beans, seeds, nuts, and soy isolates

Oxalic acid found in spinach, collard greens, sweet potatoes, rhubarb, and beans

Vitamin D

Long-term vitamin D deficiency has been associated with demineralization (loss of important minerals) of the bones. After your 30s, the balance tips and you start to lose more than you build. Most commonly associated with bone health, calcium also creates hormones and enzymes and assists in muscle contraction and moving blood around the body. Adults can get enough from about five servings of dairy (a cup of milk, an 8-ounce container of yogurt, or a slice of cheese) or a variety of other calcium sources.

Recommended dietary allowances for calcium are as follows:

Age Male Female

0–6 months 200 mg 200 mg

7–12 months 260 mg 260 mg

1–3 years 700 mg 700 mg

4–8 years 1,000 mg 1,000 mg

9–13 years 1,300 mg 1,300 mg

14–18 years 1,300 mg 1,300 mg

19–50 years 1,000 mg 1,000 mg

51–70 years 1,000 mg 1,200 mg

71+ years 1,200 mg 1,200 mg

Keep in mind; these recommendations change for pregnant and lactating people.

You’ve probably heard that we get vitamin D from the sun, which is true. Too much vitamin A could also be a problem.

What to know about calcium deficiencies

Calcium can be tricky to get in the diet because several foods may interfere with absorption. Keep in mind, however, that some foods popular with vegans and vegetarians, such as beans, nuts, seeds, and spinach, can lower calcium absorption. Research indicates you want just the right amount.

Fun fact: Your body is constantly adding new bone and breaking down old bone. Too little causes bone problems — particularly in people also deficient in vitamin D. But three-quarters of Americans have adequate vitamin D levels, indicating they are getting enough from supplements or the sun.

Other micronutrients to keep in mind

A few more minerals step in to keep bones strong.

For an easy-to-follow framework, consider adopting the Mediterranean diet, which focuses heavily on plant-based foods, as opposed to the “Western” diet, which includes bone-damaging soft drinks, fried foods, meat, and processed products.

Keep in mind, bones also need protein, but similar to vitamin A, excessive protein intake might negatively impact the calcium balance.

It’s especially important for adolescents to eat plenty of these healthy foods because up until your 20s, you can bank bone mass for withdrawal later in life. Vitamin A is found in green leafy vegetables, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, tomato products, and eggs.

Keep in mind, if you eat a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables, chances are you are getting adequate amounts of these micronutrients and vitamins.