Avoid These 6 Foods to Prevent Weak Bones Over 50

This post was contributed by Life Line Screening, a company that provides important health screenings throughout the country that you may not necessarily be offered at your doctor’s office. Below, you will find 6 foods you need to avoid because they will cause weak bones as you grow older.

Foods rich in calcium and vitamin D are considered to be bone-builders that can reduce your osteoporosis risk. There are foods out there, however, that can do the opposite – they will not only cause you to have weak bones but will also increase your risk of developing osteoporosis.

Life Line Screening, a company that performs osteoporosis screenings, knows all about osteoporosis risk. By knowing which popular foods aren’t good for your bones, you can strive to avoid them.

6 Foods to avoid to prevent weak bones

1. Alcohol

Alcohol blocks the absorption of bone-building minerals that your body needs, including calcium. It does this by preventing osteoblasts, your bone-building cells, from fully doing their jobs. To ensure you won’t have weak bones, keep your alcohol consumption to just one glass per day.

2. Caffeine

Similar to the effects of alcohol, caffeine depletes calcium absorption into the bones. Limit your coffee to one to two cups in the morning. If you order an iced tea with your meal, be sure to drink a large glass of water, as well.

3. Flavored, Carbonated Soft Drinks

The phosphoric acid in carbonated soft drinks increases the rate that calcium is excreted in the urine. This means that calcium is leaving your body faster. Better choices are water, calcium-fortified juice, and milk.

4. Hydrogenated Oils

Vitamin K is an essential nutrient for strong bones and the process of hydrogenating oils destroys the vitamin K. Many commercial bakeries still use hydrogenated oils in their products, so when possible, bake at home using canola oil. If you’re a daily leafy green veggie eater and use extra virgin olive oil in your salads, it’s likely you are getting the vitamin K you need to prevent weak bones.

5. Salt

Salt also zaps up calcium from bones. For every 2,300 milligrams of sodium you eat, your bones lose 40 milligrams of calcium. A typical American diet is heavy in sodium, especially in processed foods. You should try to replace items like canned soups, fast-food burgers, and fries, and frozen meals with fresh fruits, vegetables, salads with oil and vinegar-based dressings, and grilled chicken.

6. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is important for vision health and good immunity, but the Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center has linked too much vitamin A to bone loss. Full-fat dairy products and eggs are the biggest offenders. Better choices include nonfat and low-fat dairy products and egg whites rather than whole eggs.

Two major risk factors for osteoporosis – heavy alcohol consumption and having a diet low in calcium – can be altered if you avoid the foods above and increase the consumption of high-calcium foods. You do have some power over the health of your over 50 bones.

If you’d like to get a clearer idea of your bone loss risk, Life Line Screening conducts bone mineral density screenings of the heel of your foot. These screenings are non-invasive and pain-free, and they can alert you to an increased risk of weak bones.

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Life Line Screening provides preventive health screenings to people across the United States. Since 1993, the company has held more than 8 million health screenings. Their mission is to make people aware of unrecognized health problems before they become catastrophic and to encourage them to seek follow-up care from a physician. Types of screenings offered include carotid artery disease, atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease (PAD), heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and more.

For more information visit the Life Line Screening website

Have you tried Life Line Screenings yet or would you consider it? Please leave a comment below.