Foods That Weaken Your Bones

The old adage says “You are what you eat”. What we eat defines our general health. Overindulgence in any food group leads to an imbalance in the body and ill health. Our bone structure is the very foundation of our body. Loss of bone density leads to bones of the body breaking with the slightest impact. Osteoporosis is an ever-present danger in menopausal women. A diet rich in calcium is essential to maintaining bone strength and density. Surprisingly, there are certain foods credited with sapping the bone mass. Such foods are detrimental to health and their intake should be monitored.

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1. Salt: Salt is known as white poison. Excess intake of salt results in loss of calcium. For every 2300 mg of salt consumed, the body loses 400 mg of calcium. Salt is an essential flavoring and cannot be done away with entirely. The solution is then to reduce the intake of salt in food. Processed foods, pickles, and condiments contain large amounts of salt and should be avoided.
2. Carbonated drinks: Carbonated fizzy drinks contain phosphoric acid which causes large amounts of calcium to be flushed from the body. One way to reduce the intake of fizzy drinks is to drink milk, yogurt, or fresh fruit juice. Fizzy drinks corrode the bones and make them brittle.
3. Caffeine: Caffeine gives the body a jump start. For every 100 mg of caffeine consumed, the body loses 6 mg of calcium. Caffeine intake in the form of coffee should be limited to 2 cups a day.
4. Vitamin A: High doses of Vitamin A reduce bone density. The intake of Vitamin A should be limited to the recommended limit per age group. Switching over to egg whites instead of egg yolk, using low-fat dairy products, and reducing unnecessary intake of multivitamins help reduce this problem.
5. Alcohol: Alcohol prevents the absorption of calcium by the body. Effectively, this means that bones weaken and stop growing if the intake of alcohol is excessive. Hence, it is advisable to limit alcohol consumption
6. Hydrogenated oils: Vitamin K is essential to bone building. The process by which vegetable oils are turned into hydrogenated oils destroys the Vitamin K content. The solution is to use vegetable oils like olive or canola oil and to step up the consumption of green leafy vegetables.
7. High carb diet: A balanced diet is essential to maintain the body’s health. Yo diets are a new fad to reduce body weight. These diets prescribe high-carb foods for periods of up to a fortnight at a time. These diets may help a person lose flab but in the process, they weaken the bones and make them brittle and porous.

A well-balanced diet with an adequate amount of calcium is the key to healthy bones and the overall health of the person.