Diet for osteoporosis | Calcium and vitamin D against bone loss

The role of diet in osteoporosis should not be underestimated. With the right foods, the decomposition of bone matter can be significantly slowed.

Cheese and quark

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The role of diet in osteoporosis should not be underestimated. Choosing the right food can significantly slow down the breakdown of bone material. A fresh, varied diet rich in calcium and vitamin D is particularly effective against bone loss. Another cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle is adequate exercise.

Proper nutrition for osteoporosis is easy

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Many diseases require a complex change in diet. Fortunately, bone loss, as it is colloquially known as osteoporosis, varies: The right diet for osteoporosis is simple. If you have a fresh and varied diet, you are doing most of the right things. Because fresh foods contain a very large percentage of vitamins, minerals and trace elements necessary for bone health. Try to access fruits and vegetables as well as grains, dairy products and fish whenever possible. The following rule of thumb applies to all foods: the less the food is processed, the richer the content of valuable ingredients.

What is osteoporosis?

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Bone loss is a normal consequence of aging. From the age of 35, the body breaks down more bone mass than it accumulates again. While so-called osteoblasts build bone, osteoclasts break bone.

In healthy people, the breakdown of bone material ranges between 0.5 and 1.5 percent per year, depending on genetic makeup and lifestyle. This reduces bone density, and the bones become porous. If there is a greater breakdown of bone substance, doctors talk about osteoporosis. The technical term for bone loss is derived from the ancient Greek words for bone (Os) and pore (Poros).

For more information about the symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention of bone loss, see the picture of osteoporosis.

Calcium and Vitamin D: important raw materials for bone health

The solid bone mass in the human body is composed largely of calcium and phosphorus. Proteins (collagen) ensure elasticity. Other substances that are important for bone metabolism are the minerals magnesium, zinc and copper as well as vitamins D, K, C, B6 and B12, folic acid as well as amino acids and some hormones.

Calcium and Vitamin D are two of the most important raw materials for bone health. They therefore play a central role in nutrition in osteoporosis.

The role of calcium in the diet in osteoporosis

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The daily requirement for a healthy diet to prevent osteoporosis is about 1,000 milligrams (mg) per day for adults. So children and teenagers need between 1,100 and 1,200 mg per day. According to the Nutritional Medicine Clinic at the Technical University of Munich, current bone loss requirements are between 1,200 and 1,500 mg/day.

Calcium-rich foods: Cheese provides more calcium than milk
Milk (preferably low-fat) and dairy products such as cheese or yogurt are particularly rich in calcium. Contrary to many other perceptions, quark is not a good source of calcium, according to DGE.

Hard cheeses such as Emmentaler, Gouda or Parmesan in particular provide an above-average amount of calcium. Emmentaler, for example, contains 1100 mg calcium per 100 grams. On the other hand, a similar serving of milk (100 milliliters) is slightly less than a tenth, i.e. 120 mg.

By the way, dairy products are often also acceptable for people with lactose intolerance. Therefore, people with lactose intolerance should do without valuable calcium suppliers from the beginning, but should test tolerance individually.

Other foods rich in calcium

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Green vegetables such as broccoli, fennel, kale, leeks and spinach
Salads such as lettuce or arugula
Soybean and soybean products
Herbs such as garden cress or parsley
Nuts such as hazelnuts and Brazil nuts
Mineral water: In some types, the calcium content exceeds 400 micrograms per liter. But not all mineral water is suitable. It should also be low in sodium (less than 50 mg/L).

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Calcium predator

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Some foods and superfoods inhibit calcium absorption or increase calcium excretion. Therefore, these predators of calcium should be avoided. This includes:

Alcohol and nicotine
Foods high in oxalic acid, such as canned foods or processed cheese
Products that contain a high percentage of phosphate, such as sausages
Foods such as beets, rhubarb or cocoa
Caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea or cola drinks

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The role of vitamin D

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Vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from food. However, only a small portion comes from food. With up to 90 percent of the requirement, the metabolism produces by far the bulk of vitamin D under the influence of sunlight, which is why it is very important to ensure adequate exercise in the fresh air to treat and prevent osteoporosis. Even a half-hour walk under a cloudy sky is enough for healthy people to ensure the body is supplied with vitamin D.

The level of vitamin D requirements is controversial

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Experts argue about the daily requirement of vitamin D. It is recommended to take about 20 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D daily with food.

Foods rich in vitamin D.

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High-fat fish such as eel, herring, cod, mackerel, salmon, sardines and tuna; Also oysters
Milk and dairy products (especially hard cheese)
Chicken, lamb or beef liver
Eggs, especially the yolk
Butter and margarine
Mushrooms such as champignons, mushrooms, porcini mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms

Dietary supplement for osteoporosis

For healthy people who follow a regimen

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Dietary supplement for osteoporosis

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For healthy people who follow a varied diet and exercise regularly outdoors, nutritional supplements against osteoporosis are neither necessary nor usually beneficial. For example, an oversupply of calcium can lead to urinary tract stones and impair kidney function. In aging, endogenous production of vitamin D decreases significantly. Then it may make sense to take more vitamin D with food. There are also living conditions where the need is increased, for example during pregnancy.

Diseases can interfere with the absorption of vitamin D from the digestive system. These include, for example:

obesity
pancreatitis
Infections
Gallbladder diseases
Liver failure
Cystic fibrosis
Crohn's disease
Kidney failure
Irritable bowel syndrome
Celiac disease (gluten intolerance)

Whether vitamin D supplementation is necessary in these cases can only be determined on a case-by-case basis. Discuss this with your doctor.