Beware: These foods may weaken your bones

Osteoporosis is a disease many of us have but few of us know it. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 44 million have low bone density, placing them at risk.

For the most part this disease is asymptomatic untial there are clear warning signs staring you in the face.  These signs usually do not appear until the disease is more advanced and well under way. To best time to catch and treat osteoporosis is before you develop any signs or symptoms.  Knowing and understanding the risk factors for this disease is important as it can help you make lifestyle changes baefore the condition has set in. 

Nutrition’s role in bone health

One major factor impacting osteoporosis is nutrition. Most of us are aware that eating foods rich in bone-building calcium and vitamin D (including dairy products, fish, and calcium-fortified foods) can help protect your bones.  But just as important but less often discussed, are the foods and beverages that threaten bone health. From overly-salty snacks to high-in-sugar sodas, certain foods may inhibit your body from absorbing calcium, reducing bone mineral density thus resulting in porous, weak bones.

Here are 7 foods which may be bad for bone health when consumed improperly:

1.  High-sodium foods

Consuming a steady diet of over-salted, high-sodium foods may taste good but the extra sodium does no favors to your bones.  Sodium actually makes your body lose essential calcium.  Excess salt in your system, makes your body excrete it through your urine, taking some of your body’s stored calcium along with it.  About 75 percent of our sodium intake comes from processed and packaged foods, such as cured meats, snack foods and canned foods. The solution is to choose more fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats (avoid bologna, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, etc.) unsalted nuts and seeds and aim for no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day.

2. High-oxalate foods

Oxalate is an organic compound found naturally in many foods.  Once consumed, oxalate can bind to the mineral calcium which then is excreted from the body preventing calcium absorption. Foods that contain high oxalate levels include spinach, rhubarb, beet greens, some beans and soy products such as edamame, tempeh, and tofu. However, these foods have valuable health-promoting nutrients.  Does this mean we should avoid them?  Thankfully, the answer is no.  Studies have found that if you eat the recommended daily amount of calcium, this effect isn’t seen.  The take-home message is that the calcium to oxalate ratio is more important than the high levels of oxalate.  Keep eating your calcium and you have nothing to worry about.

3. Caffeine

An eight-ounce cup of coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine.  Many of us enjoy having at least one cup of coffee to wake us up feeling more energized, thanks to its caffeine content. However, caffeine can reduce your body’s ability to absorb calcium from the foods you eat. But here’s the good news: If you’re consuming the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for calcium (1200 mg for women ages 51-70, and 1000 mg for men ages 51-70), your body can counteract this process.  Research has shown that caffeine intake does not harm your bone health as long as you are consistently meeting the RDA for calcium.

4.  High-protein foods

Protein is another substance that can bind with calcium causing it to be excreted out of your body with urine. Whether you consume too much or even too little protein, either way, protein may possibly harm bone health. Your best bet is to obtain sufficient protein without going overboard or consuming insufficient amounts. The recommendation from the Dietary Reference Intakes is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for both adult men and women (convert your weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing it by 2.2). Be sure to include high-quality protein food sources such as fish, poultry, lean beef, eggs, and dairy products.

5. Foods containing phytates

A compound called phytates, if consumed in large quantities, may harm bone health.  Phytates are antioxidant compounds found in whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. The main concern about phytates is that they can bind to certain minerals, like calcium, slowing their absorption by interfering with your body’s ability to absorb it   However, this applies to a single meal, not overall nutrient absorption throughout the day. For example, snacking on nuts between meals could reduce the amount of calcium from these nuts, but not from the meal you eat a few hours later.

6.  Sugary sodas

Besides containing too much sugar for our own good, sodas, particularly dark-colored sodas, appear to negatively impact calcium absorption. The reason is due to an ingredient cola beverages contain called phosphoric acid.  Phosphoric acid in dark-colored sodas has been shown to cause your body to excrete calcium as opposed to light-colored sodas. In addition, most cola beverages also contain caffeine, which may also impact calcium absorption. There has been an association between people who have high soda intake and risk of fracture, which is probably partly due to phosphoric acid but also the fact that soda drinkers are likely not consuming calcium-rich milk or other foods containing the bone-building mineral.

7.  Alcohol

While there is some evidence moderate drinking may have a positive effect on bone health, it is well-documented that chronic, heavy alcohol use can dramatically affect bone health increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Moderate drinking is defined as no more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men.