Diet and Osteoporosis

What Is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis means “porous bones,” and leads to weak bones that are easily broken

normal bone osteoporoticbone

Images are copyright of University of Glasgow http://www.anatomy.gla.ac.uk/fab/

How Does It Happen?

• Bone is a living tissue

• It is constantly being built up and broken down

• Bone tissue production slows at age 30-40 and bone mass starts to decline with age

How Does It Happen?

• When dietary calcium is insufficient, it is taken from the bones

• Bones serve as a source of stored calcium

Is Osteoporosis Common?

• 25 million people are affected

• 1.5 million broken bones annually

• $10 billion in healthcare costs yearly

What Are the Symptoms?

• Silent disease – no symptoms until far-advanced

• A broken bone is often the first clue that bones are dangerously weakened

What Are The Risk Factors?

• Age

• Menopause

• Genetic

• Sedentary

• Dietary

• Low body weight

• Smoking

• Some drugs

What Are The Risk Factors?

• Age

• Menopause

• GeneticSedentary

DietaryLow body weightSmokingSome drugs

These are the factors you can control

What Can I Do to Lower My Risk?

• Increase the lifestyle & dietary factors that build bones

• Decrease the lifestyle & dietary factors that deplete or weaken bones

Increase the Lifestyle & Dietary Factors That

Build Bones

What Helps Build Bones?

Resistance exercise:

• Some calisthenic exercises

• Free weights or machines

• Rubber exercise bands

Resistance exercises are the most effective

What Helps Build Bones?

Weight bearing aerobic exercise:• Walking & jogging• Basketball• Aerobic classes• Dancing• Cross country skiing

• Skating• Mowing lawn• Volley ball• Tennis • Racquet ball

NOTE: biking and swimming are less effective

What Nutrients Help Build Bones?

• Calcium

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin K

• Potassium

• Trace minerals: • boron • magnesium• zinc• copper • manganese• fluoride

Does This Mean I Need A Lot of Supplements?

Not necessarily – let’s take a look at an easy way to get all of these essential vitamins and minerals

Heart Healthy Calcium

Nonfat Dairy Broccoli, Kale

Heart Healthy Calcium

Sardines & salmon with bones Almonds

Calcium Fortified Foods

Some calcium-fortified foods are alsogood sources of other nutrients

Calcium Fortified Foods

Some calcium-fortified foods are lowin fiber and calorie-dense

High in Calcium But Poorly Absorbed

Spinach, rhubarb, beet greens and Swiss chard all contain oxalate which inhibits absorptionof the calcium they contain

Adequate Daily Intake for Calcium

Source: U.S. National Academy of Science, 1997

Babies:0-6 months 210 mg6-12 months 270 mgChildren:1-3 years 500 mg4-8 years 800 mg9-13 years 1300 mgAdults:14-18 years 1300 mg19-50 years 1000 mg51+ years 1200 mg

Adequate Daily Intake for Calcium

Source: U.S. National Academy of Science, 1997

Pregnant Women:18 years or less 1300 mg19-50 years 1000 mgNursing Mothers:18 years or less 1300 mg19-50 years 1000 mgPost-menopausal womenOn estrogen 1200 mgNot on estrogen 1500 mg

Easy Way to 1000 Mg Calcium Per Day• 1 cup fortified orange juice 350• 1 cup nonfat flavored yogurt 350• 1 cup skim milk or fortified soymilk 300• 1 cup cooked beans 80• Dark green salad 70• 1 cup broccoli 42

Total 1192

A Cup With Every Meal

Know the Terms

• A “good” source of calcium contains at least 10% of the daily value or 100 mg

Know the Terms

• An “excellent” source of calcium contains at least 20% of the daily value or 200 mg

Know the Terms

• 10% of the daily value for calcium means that a food contains around 100 mg of calcium

This product contains400 mg calcium

Who Should Take Calcium Supplements?

• People who don’t get enough calcium from food sources

• Average daily intake for American women is only 500 mg/day

Which Calcium Supplement?

• Best-absorbed and least constipating

• Good for older people who have low stomach acid

Calcium citrate:

Which Calcium Supplement?

• Best for children & young adults who absorb it as efficiently as calcium citrate

Calcium carbonate:

Calcium Supplement Tips

• Take them at meal time when there is acid present in stomach

• Drink plenty of water

• Avoid salt, excessive animal protein, soda, coffee and other sources of caffeine for better use of dietary calcium

Won’t Prevent Fractures

• The US Preventive Task Force he Task Force recommends against daily supplements of less than 400 IU of vitamin D3 and less than 1,000 mg of calcium for the prevention of fractures in postmenopausal women.

•

Won’t Prevent Fractures

• The Task Force found that the current evidence is insufficient to make a recommendation on daily supplements greater than 400 IU of vitamin D3 and greater than 1,000 mg of calcium for the prevention of fractures in postmenopausal women.

Won’t Prevent Fractures

• The Task Force found that the current evidence is also insufficient to make a recommendation on vitamin D and calcium supplements for the prevention of fractures for men and premenopausal women.

Vitamin D

• From the sun (10-20 minutes, 3 times per week)

• Also in fortified food: milk, some soy milk, fish with bones and cereals

Vitamin K

• Helps maintain strong bones

• It is found in fruits & vegetables

Potassium

• Helps maintain strong bones• It is abundant in fruits & vegetables

Trace Minerals: Boron

• Helps maintain strong bones• Found in fruits and vegetables, also in

legumes and nuts

Trace Minerals: Magnesium

• Helps maintain strong bones• Found in whole grains, leafy green

vegetables and beans

Trace Minerals: Zinc

• Helps maintain strong bones• Found in seafood, milk, wheat germ,

whole wheat, tofu, almonds, black eye peas, peanut butter

Trace Minerals: Copper

• Helps maintain strong bones• Found in nuts, seeds, seafood

Trace Minerals: Manganese

• Helps maintain strong bones• Found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables

and tea

Trace Minerals: Fluoride

• Helps maintain strong bones• Found in fish with edible bones,

fluoridated water, tea

Decrease the Lifestyle & Dietary Factors That Deplete or Weaken

Bones

What Weakens Bone?

• Excess dietary salt

• One study found that an extra 2000 mg of sodium ingested required about 1000 mg of calcium more to maintain the body’s calcium stores

Read the Label

• Purchase foods that contain equal to or fewer mg of sodium than calories

What Weakens Bone?

• Excessive soft drinks and caffeine

What Weakens Bone?

• Excessive meat & animal protein

What Weakens Bone?

• Rapid weight loss: • Crash diets• High protein diets• Fad diets

What Weakens Bone?

• Excessive Vitamin A

A

What Weakens Bone?

• Excessive fluoride

Fluoride

What Weakens Bone?

• Cigarette smoking & heavy drinking

A Diet That Builds Bone

• Plenty of fruits and vegetables• Whole grains• Legumes (beans and peas)• Nuts, seeds• Fish and seafood• Nonfat dairy, fortified soy or calcium

fortified foods

Don’t forget: Vitamin D (sunshine, skim milk

or supplements) & weight bearing exercise!

Cooking for Your Bones

• Add kale and broccoli to pasta dishes, soups and stir fry dishes

Cooking for Your Bones

• Use calcium-fortified orange juice to cook vegetables such as sweet potatoes and carrots

Cooking for Your Bones

• Use pureed beans to thicken soups

Cooking for Your Bones

• Cook and bake with calcium-fortified milk or soymilk

Cooking for Your Bones

• Use dark green lettuce such as romaine for salads