FOODS TO HELP OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis occurs when your bones become depleted of minerals and lose their density. One of the functions of bone is to store minerals which can be released to help regulate the body chemistry.  For example, helping nerves to function properly, giving muscles the energy they need, or balancing the acidity of the blood.

A key factor in maintaining and improving bone density is a diet which is not too acidic, as calcium is drawn from the bones to neutralise the acidity.  Vegetables are alkaline producing, so they should make up the bulk of your diet.   

The highest acid-producing foods are grains, hard cheeses, salted foods, meats, and legumes.  Other culprits include processed foods, sugars and sweeteners, caffeine and carbonated beverages, yeast products, fermented foods and alcohol. A healthy alkaline diet consists of around 80% vegetables.

Minerals and the Calcium Debate

Whilst we do need calcium to maintain strong bones, there is some controversy over calcium supplementation, which has been the standard approach to dealing with osteoporosis for many years.

  

Some experts now believe that over-supplementing with calcium actually depletes other minerals from your body and can lead to various health problems, and even make osteoporosis worse.  A far better alternative is said to be Himalayan salt, which is rich in many minerals and untouched by modern agriculture.

Virgin coconut oil helps the body to absorb minerals better and has many other health benefits. 

The Role of Vitamin D

 Vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium, which makes up a significant part of bone tissue. We can synthesise vitamin D through the skin and get it from our diet. The most readily available source of vitamin D is exposure to direct sunlight. Fifteen minutes sunlight on the face and forearms each day is usually enough, even in Britain! Vitamin D is also found in fatty fish, eggs, liver, butter, fortified foods such as milk and multivitamins.
 

The known health benefits of Vitamin D are numerous and growing all the time. The website vitamind3world.com, which sells vitamin D supplements, also has a lot of information about it. 

The Grain Debate 

Whole grains may not be a healthy food for everyone, especially people at risk of low bone density health issues. Studies have shown that grains can have numerous detrimental effects on the body, including gut irritation leading to malabsorption of minerals, autoimmune responses and an acidifying effect.   

Reducing the amount of grain in our diet in favour of more vegetables is an easy and effective way of improving our overall nutritional intake. 

Alcohol 

An occasional drink may be good for your bones: A number of recent research studies have shown an association between moderate alcohol intake and stronger bones in post-menopausal women. A study reported in the November, 2000 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol hadd significantly higher bone density than did non-drinkers.

Exercise 

Walking and strength training are essential elements to creating strong bones.  There are various walking groups available in this area, and Impulse Leisure in Southwick and Lancing have great facilities and numerous exercise classes to suit everyone.  Please ask us if you would like a free 7 day guest pass.

Summary 

Health science is starting to acknowledge the benefits of whole foods over individual supplements.  A healthy lifestyle which closely follows what the body is deigned for is often a better long term approach to health than using medication to try to fix a problem.

What you choose to put in your body is always your choice, and we recommend that you do your own research on the benefits and drawbacks of certain treatment approaches before embarking on them.

Sources 

For more information on osteoporosis, mercola.com is an excellent source of information. Dr Joseph Mercola is an American medical doctor who sources cutting edge information on natural health.

Virgin Organic Coconut Oil is available in the clinic and Himalayan Crystal Salt can be found at Sugar & Spice Health Food Store, 33 East Street, Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5ZD. Tel: 01273 464716.

Cyndi O’Meara’s 21 Day Weight Loss Programme is also available at the clinic and is a great place to start for inspiration and motivation.  You don’t have to want to lose weight to enjoy Cyndi’s programme.

To learn more about omitting grains from your diet, visit marksdailyapple.com.