Best bone foods

A glass of milk

Calcium is the keystone for strong bones. All adults need about 1000 mg/day of calcium. This requirement goes up after the age of 51 in women. They need 1200 mg of daily calcium. Men need to increase calcium intake after about the age of 70. Star calcium source is – MILK. A cup of milk has 300 mg of calcium. Take supplements with doctor’s advice if you already suffer from the symptoms.

Yogurt and cheese

Don’t like milk! A cup of yogurt is good source of calcium too. Good news is lactose intolerant people can use it too, as they are low in lactose. Lactose-free dairy products are good option for lactose-intolerant people. Removing lactose has no effect on calcium content.

Green leafy vegetables

Go for dark leafy vegetables like kale, cabbage, broccoli, and turnips. You will be surprised to know that a bowl of chopped and cooked good old spinach has 200 mg calcium. It is rich in iron too. So next time you are tempted to have soup, choose spinach!

Nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds like flaxseed and walnuts are full of Omega-3 fatty acids. Peanuts and Almonds have potassium, and prevent calcium loss in urine. Thus they shore up bone health in many ways.

Soy foods

Protein-rich soy foods are rich in calcium too. Additionally, isoflavon is the component in these foods which is said to have estrogen-like effect. Now this is good news for post-menopausal women. Try eating tofu to ward off bone disease in older years of life.

Little fish

Fish like sardine and salmon provide a range of nutrients that boost up bone health. They are good source of omega-3 fatty acid and help prevent bone loss even in older women.

Sunshine

We agree sunshine is not a food! But all of you know by now and will agree that sunshine is essential to produce vitamin D in our body and vitamin D is essential for proper absorption and utilization of calcium. So expose yourself to sunlight if you want to keep bone troubles at bay.

Bad bone foods

When we tell you what to eat, we must tell you what not to! Stick to a low-salt diet if you want to have high calcium and strong bones. Calcium is carried away with salt in urine. More salt you eat, more calcium you lose. Curb the salt.

Same is true for tea. Excess of caffeine can hamper calcium absorption. So keep a check on how much you drink.