Osteoporosis: An Overview
Article Navigation:
- Introduction to Osteoporosis
- Definition of Osteoporosis & Symptoms of Osteoporosis
- Causes of Osteoporosis
- Risks for Osteoporosis
- Diagnosing Osteoporosis
- Treating Osteoporosis
- Preventing Osteoporosis
- Osteoporosis and Calcium
- Osteoporosis and Vitamin D
- Exercise and Osteoporosis
- Diet and Osteoporosis
- Natural Treatments
- Osteoporosis in Women
- Caffeine and Osteoporosis
- Osteoporosis References
Diet and Osteoporosis
Getting enough Vitamin D and calcium is crucial to preventing osteoporosis. Many foods contain calcium.[20][21] A good source of calcium is dairy products. There are other foods you can include in your diet to increase your intake of calcium. Here's a short list of foods that contain calcium:
- Dairy products
- Black beans
- Navy beans
- Cereal fortified with calcium
- Soybeans
- Spinach
- Bok choy
- Kale
- Corn tortilla
- Mustard greens
- Orange juice fortified with calcium
- Soy milk fortified with calcium
- Tofu
- Almonds
- Oysters
- Sardines and salmon with bones
- Collard greens
- Broccoli
These foods cannot provide the amount of calcium that supplements provide. If you are at risk for or have osteoporosis, consider taking calcium supplements with vitamin D to ensure that you get enough calcium on a daily basis.
Excess salt, caffeine and alcohol should be avoided as they can hurt calcium absorption and cause bone loss
This Elder Health Guide was published on October 18, 2009 and was updated on January 21, 2010.
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