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You know how tricky osteoporosis can be. By the time you start to feel pain, it’s already progressing.
And while you can’t reverse the damage it causes, you know there must be a way to slow any more damage from happening.
Could diet changes make a difference?
Absolutely.
You can learn how to uncover the best diet for osteoporosis based on your unique needs. This helpful guide will dig into the top superfoods for osteoporosis and show how you can find help for your symptoms.
Foods containing …
… are the best foods to eat if you have osteoporosis.
Each of these nutrients aid in slowing the progression of bone loss and in managing osteoporosis.
The following are what some may consider “superfoods” to help boost your bone strength and manage your diagnosis.
Calcium is crucial to maintaining bone strength. Studies have shown that consuming dairy can decrease the rate of bone loss.
Even in the elderly, dairy helps reduce the risk of bone fractures by continuing to improve bone density.
Low-fat dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are all full of calcium. Boost your calcium intake by adding a few servings of dairy products daily.
If you’re a fan of dairy products, including them in your daily diet is simple. Add some cheese on top of your salad. Have a glass of milk at breakfast or before bed.
But what about if you’re not a fan of dairy products? What’s the simplest way to add them to your diet?
Consider things like:
Not sure you can get enough dairy in daily?
Adding dark leafy greens into your diet can help amp your calcium and vitamin K intake.
For example, one cup of cooked turnip greens has roughly 200 mg of calcium (20% of the recommended amount daily) and 138 mcg of
vitamin K, which is well above the recommended 90-120 mcg per day.
Dark leafy greens like …
… are some of the best superfoods for osteoporosis — and are fairly simple to add to your diet.
Spinach is extremely versatile. It can be added to turkey burgers, as a sandwich topping, or as your main salad ingredient.
Arugula, which has a peppery flavor, makes a great addition to flatbreads, mixed with pasta and rice, or served raw with roasted vegetables.
Sweet potatoes are loaded with magnesium and potassium, two powerhouses for bone strength. Potassium works to balance acidity in your body, reducing calcium loss from your bones.
Magnesium helps ensure that ingested calcium is being deposited into our bones.
One cup of sweet potatoes contains around ¼ of the amount of recommended magnesium and potassium per day.
Sweet potatoes are an excellent addition to any meal — as breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a snack throughout the day.
And they’re another extremely versatile vegetable. You can make them a savory dish or create a sweet treat.
Mash them up and serve them as a substitute for mashed potatoes, or add them to a hash for breakfast.
Figs contain calcium and potassium, making them the perfect snack for those looking to slow the progression of osteoporosis.
They are sweet with a soft, chewy texture — one that many people either love
or despise, but when searching for
natural remedies for osteoporosis, they are a superfood you may want to consider.
“Bring us some figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer!”
Okay, okay, so figgy pudding isn’t the ideal way to add more figs into your diet.
If you’re someone who just doesn’t love the texture of figs, consider doing the following to get more figs into your diet:
Deficiency in ascorbic acid (vitamin C) has been linked to the development of osteoporosis.
Consuming citrus fruits —
grapefruits, lemons, limes, oranges — is a great way to ensure you’re getting enough vitamin C in your diet, potentially slowing its effects on your bones.
One of the easiest ways to add more citrus fruit into your diet is by drinking fortified orange juice. One glass contains 350 milligrams of calcium, over ⅓ of the recommended amount to consume per day!
Additional ways to consume citrus fruits include:
Almonds are kind of like a secret weapon against bone degeneration.
Almonds are full of:
While many resources state that the best way to eat almonds — and reap the benefits — is to soak and peel them before consuming, there are many different ways you can consult his powerhouse food.
Try one of these five ideas for using almonds:
One of the not-so-commonly thought of superfoods for osteoporosis are prunes.
Before you scroll past, because you instantly think of your grandma telling you how beneficial they are as she adds them to her bowl of oatmeal, hear us out.
Studies have found that consuming prunes, or friend plumbs, may help protect against bone loss. This fruit has a much higher level of vitamin K than most commonly consumed fruits.
Dried fruit is one of those things that many have a love-hate relationship with from the time they are little.
Could it be because of the textures? It’s likely.
If you aren’t loving the idea of popping a couple of prunes into your mouth daily, you’re not alone.
Thankfully, you have options like:
If you’re sticking to a plant-based diet and dealing with an osteoporosis diagnosis, it’s vital that you consume foods that maintain bone health.
Consider these options:
Adding vegetarian proteins into your diet doesn’t have to be tedious — many people think that tofu is complicated, but it’s really quite simple to season.
Consider adding tofu as a pizza topping or beans on your salad for a more “Southwestern” feel. Add lentils to soups or aside main dishes. Mix seeds and nuts into your favorite “party mix” or granola recipe.
Molasses contains …
… which are all nutrients vital to maintaining bone health. Daily consumption of
blackstrap molasses may be just what your body needs to fight back at osteoporosis.
Enjoying the benefits of molasses is easy. You can simply add it as a sweetener to baked goods, desserts, and sauces. Or you can mix it in your favorite smoothies, coffee, or other beverages.
One of the quickest and potentially easiest ways to consume molasses is mixing one or two tablespoons into a cup of hot water.
Struggling with osteoporosis and bone loss and hoping that a change in your diet will help?
It could — especially if you have a clear idea of what’s going on in your body.
At HealthierU, we understand and help educate others that everybody is different — one person’s nutritional path may not be best for the next.
Knowing what agrees with your genetic makeup can feel intimidating, especially if you’ve tried various diet changes and find that nothing is working.
Cue HealthierU and our Nutrition Response Testing. We can help you determine the most effective superfoods for osteoporosis and your unique genetic makeup.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Slow the progression of osteoporosis and bone loss with the help of HealthierU.
Natural Nutritionist Brooklyn