How to Eat to Slow Down Bone Loss in Menopause

Steer clear of soft drinks., Watch your sodium intake., Limit caffeine., Cook from scratch whenever possible., Choose quality proteins., Skip the soy., Eat sources of Vitamin K. There are two forms of Vitamin K: K1(phylloquinone) and K2...

7 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Steer clear of soft drinks.

    Many carbonated beverages contain phosphoric acid, which can affect your body’s ability to absorb calcium.

    Phosphoric acid causes you to lose calcium when you urinate.

    To reduce the calcium that you lose from drinking sodas, limit or avoid sodas altogether.Try drinking beverages that do not contain phosphoric acid, such as club soda, water, herbal teas, black or green teas, or fortified orange juice.
  2. Step 2: Watch your sodium intake.

    Sodium is a major cause of calcium loss and a high-sodium diet has been linked with developing osteoporosis.

    The more sodium you have in your diet, the more calcium you will need to get in order to make up for it.Try to limit your sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day to help reduce your calcium loss. , Caffeine also reduces your body’s ability to absorb calcium, so it is important to keep your caffeine intake under control to prevent low calcium levels.

    If you want to eliminate bone loss from caffeine intake, you can switch to decaf or choose beverages that are naturally caffeine free, such as peppermint or chamomile tea.Try not to exceed 300 milligrams of caffeine per day.

    That’s about the equivalent of two eight ounce cups of coffee.

    Try switching to tea.

    It is lower in caffeine and it has been shown to protect bones from calcium loss. , Food that is processed lacks trace minerals that have a protective effect on bones.To make sure that you are getting the most nutrient-dense diet possible, cook your meals from scratch whenever you can.

    Try choosing fresh instead of frozen vegetables, make your own bread, cook whole grains such as brown rice, and avoid pre-packaged prepared foods. , Since bones are made up of mostly protein, getting enough of the right kind of protein is an important part of maintaining bone density.

    Try to avoid red meat as much as possible since it tends to be more acidic and may reduce the amount of calcium that your body can absorb.Make sure that you include enough quality protein sources for your size and gender to reduce bone loss.

    Good sources of protein include:
    Eggs Dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt Poultry such as chicken and turkey Seafood such as salmon, halibut, and shrimp , Soy has been found to have adverse effects on the absorption of calcium as well, so it is best to avoid eating too much soy.

    Even if a soy product is fortified with calcium, the calcium is not absorbed well.

    If you rely on soy as a primary source of protein, then it is a good idea to take a calcium supplement for extra protection., The combination is sometimes called MK7 in commercial supplement products.

    You should aim for about 250-1000 mcg of K1 and 45-180 mcg of K2 per day.

    Eat a good source of vitamin K two to three times a week to get these amounts or take a supplement.

    Natural food sources of Vitamin K include:
    Sauerkraut Aged cheese Natto (a soy product) Kimchee (fermented Korean cabbage) Beef liver Green tea Turnip greens Broccoli Kale Spinach Cabbage Asparagus Dark green lettuce
  3. Step 3: Limit caffeine.

  4. Step 4: Cook from scratch whenever possible.

  5. Step 5: Choose quality proteins.

  6. Step 6: Skip the soy.

  7. Step 7: Eat sources of Vitamin K. There are two forms of Vitamin K: K1(phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone).

Detailed Guide

Many carbonated beverages contain phosphoric acid, which can affect your body’s ability to absorb calcium.

Phosphoric acid causes you to lose calcium when you urinate.

To reduce the calcium that you lose from drinking sodas, limit or avoid sodas altogether.Try drinking beverages that do not contain phosphoric acid, such as club soda, water, herbal teas, black or green teas, or fortified orange juice.

Sodium is a major cause of calcium loss and a high-sodium diet has been linked with developing osteoporosis.

The more sodium you have in your diet, the more calcium you will need to get in order to make up for it.Try to limit your sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day to help reduce your calcium loss. , Caffeine also reduces your body’s ability to absorb calcium, so it is important to keep your caffeine intake under control to prevent low calcium levels.

If you want to eliminate bone loss from caffeine intake, you can switch to decaf or choose beverages that are naturally caffeine free, such as peppermint or chamomile tea.Try not to exceed 300 milligrams of caffeine per day.

That’s about the equivalent of two eight ounce cups of coffee.

Try switching to tea.

It is lower in caffeine and it has been shown to protect bones from calcium loss. , Food that is processed lacks trace minerals that have a protective effect on bones.To make sure that you are getting the most nutrient-dense diet possible, cook your meals from scratch whenever you can.

Try choosing fresh instead of frozen vegetables, make your own bread, cook whole grains such as brown rice, and avoid pre-packaged prepared foods. , Since bones are made up of mostly protein, getting enough of the right kind of protein is an important part of maintaining bone density.

Try to avoid red meat as much as possible since it tends to be more acidic and may reduce the amount of calcium that your body can absorb.Make sure that you include enough quality protein sources for your size and gender to reduce bone loss.

Good sources of protein include:
Eggs Dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt Poultry such as chicken and turkey Seafood such as salmon, halibut, and shrimp , Soy has been found to have adverse effects on the absorption of calcium as well, so it is best to avoid eating too much soy.

Even if a soy product is fortified with calcium, the calcium is not absorbed well.

If you rely on soy as a primary source of protein, then it is a good idea to take a calcium supplement for extra protection., The combination is sometimes called MK7 in commercial supplement products.

You should aim for about 250-1000 mcg of K1 and 45-180 mcg of K2 per day.

Eat a good source of vitamin K two to three times a week to get these amounts or take a supplement.

Natural food sources of Vitamin K include:
Sauerkraut Aged cheese Natto (a soy product) Kimchee (fermented Korean cabbage) Beef liver Green tea Turnip greens Broccoli Kale Spinach Cabbage Asparagus Dark green lettuce

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Andrew Rogers

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