“Drink milk so that you get strong bones,” is a well-known nutritional saying. It has long been proven that not only a calcium-rich diet, but also other factors influence the bone density and thus protect against osteoporosis. We say what makes the bones strong and which foods help.
Porous bones: osteoporosis (Bone loss) is a metabolic disorder of the bone, in which bone tissue becomes porous. In extreme cases, those affected can lose up to six percent of their original bone mass per year. In Germany, about one in four people over the age of 50 suffer from osteoporosis. Older people and menopausal women are mainly affected, but men and younger people can also be affected.
How can you strengthen the bones? Move is important
Our skeleton consists largely of calcium. The bone mass is not a dead tissue, bone substance is built up and broken down in the body throughout life. How hard the supports of our body become depends on various factors. Regular exercise is the most important measure to prevent the pathological breakdown of bone in the body and to prevent osteoporosis in old age. The reason: The loads stimulate the bone metabolism in the body.
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But muscle training is also important. Because flabby, weakening muscles have a negative impact on bone mass. Regular walks, dancing or some gymnastics can help to maintain bone density.
Which Minerals for bone building?
Calcium applies to nutrition, Vitamin D and vitamin K as the most important nutrients for bone metabolism. Only if you eat enough calcium at a young age can you build stable bones in your body.
“Dairy products, especially cheese, are very good sources of calcium,” says nutritionist Dr. Gisela Olias from the German Institute for Nutritional Research (DIfE) in Potsdam-Rehbrücke.
Risk factors for osteoporosis: The risk of developing osteoporosis increases with age. The older a person gets, the more difficult it is for the body to store minerals and to make them available to the skeleton in sufficient quantities. Build-up and breakdown processes in the body are slowed down. Basically, women have a higher risk of bone loss than men. This is due to the lack of female sex hormones (estrogens), which occurs especially after menopause.
Milk and yogurt promote bone density
According to a recent study, dairy products can increase bone density in childhood, so that you can still benefit from it in adulthood. Pediatricians recommend small side dishes such as drinking milk or yoghurt.
“However, this diet should predominate during childhood in order to really achieve a long-term effect. A few years are not enough,” says the pediatrician Dr. Monika Niehaus. But also mineral water with more than 150 mg calcium per liter, green vegetables like kale and spinach as well as nuts and sesame seeds bring a lot of calcium to the plate. In contrast, an Australian study shows that artificial minerals such as calcium supplements in pill form hardly seem to strengthen the bones.
Vitamin D : Sunlight strengthens the bones
“Vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption of calcium in the bones,” says Olias. Since vitamin D was formed in the skin by the sun’s rays, it is sufficient, according to the expert, to go out into the air for half an hour a day in summer and about an hour in winter.
Older people or those who have no way of doing so should take vitamin D through eating. Because they are particularly susceptible to broken bones and osteoporosis. The best suppliers for this are fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or tuna, as well as chicken eggs. Infants and the elderly are also often prescribed vitamin D supplements.
Prevent osteoporosis: be careful Calcium predatorn
While vitamins D and K promote calcium absorption in the bones, the absorption of certain fiber, salt or caffeine can slow down the build-up of bones. To prevent premature bone loss, season your food sparingly with salt and use plenty of herbs instead. Black tea and coffee contain several ingredients that slow down bone growth and should therefore only be consumed sparingly.
Food with oxalic acid should also be avoided. This is because oxalic acid, in combination with calcium, forms insoluble complexes that are excreted via the intestine and prevent the absorption of calcium. Foods that contain a lot of oxalic acid are, for example, beetroot, chocolate or rhubarb.
Phosphates are also considered calcium predators. Ingested in excessive amounts, phosphate breaks down calcium from the bones. The mineral is abundant in ready meals, fast food, cola and lemonades, processed cheese, meat extract and yeast, often also in meat and sausages.
Need strong bones Magnesium
But not only calcium and vitamin D are important for building bones, also a good supply of magnesium strengthens the bones. About 60 percent of the magnesium in our body is in the bones. It helps regulate bone metabolism there. Nuts, legumes and whole grains contain a lot of magnesium. When it comes to vegetables, spinach and kohlrabi are the top sellers on the magnesium hit list, while bananas and raspberries are fruit.
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Important NOTE: The information is by no means a substitute for professional advice or treatment by trained and recognized doctors. The content of t-online.de cannot and must not be used to independently make diagnoses or start treatments.
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