Osteoporosis diet

Generality

Definition and function of the diet for osteoporosis

The diet for osteoporosis is a diet aimed at preventing this skeletal disease, typical (but not exclusive) of females in old age.

It is important to emphasize immediately that osteoporosis can NOT be cured, let alone with the diet; although therapies are known to slow down the deterioration, there are currently no remedies capable of reversing the process.

Osteoporosis: statistics and dimensions of the problem

Osteoporosis is a widespread disease that affects about 5 million Italians.

The incidence of this disease in Western countries grows year after year, it seems, due to the progressive increase in the average age of the population.

Suffice it to say that every thirty seconds in Europe a person with osteoporosis suffers a fracture of a limb or a vertebra.

Diet

Importance of diet and sport

Diet, motor activity and more generally the contemporary lifestyle (such as reduced sun exposure) also contribute to increasing the incidence of osteoporosis.

It is advisable to abolish smoking, which has a negative effect on bone mass.

Physical activity, above all motor-sports, exerts a mechanical stimulus on the bones, which are stimulated to grow (in developmental age) and to maintain a certain density or compactness.

Sun exposure is essential for the skin synthesis of vitamin D, a pro-hormonal factor necessary for ossification and lacking in the diet of the average population.

For this reason it is very important to adopt healthy dietary habits from an early age, effective to prevent the onset of osteoporosis and combat its progress, especially when there is a strong genetic predisposition.

Osteoporosis: geriatric or pediatric disease?

For a long time, given the age of onset, it was thought that osteoporosis was a disease linked to aging.

Today, however, specialists prefer to talk about pediatric illness, as it seems that the most significant risk factor is the failure to achieve peak bone mass.

To be clear, a child who suffers from a nutritional deficiency (calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D) or is afflicted with a metabolic-hormonal decompensation, such that he does not develop bones properly, is more likely to become osteoporotic in adulthood or geriatric age .

From the first years of life, it is therefore of primary importance to safeguard the health and well-being of one's bones by practicing regular physical activity and adopting a healthy and balanced diet.

Can diet prevent osteoporosis?

A diet rich in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D is essential to prevent and fight osteoporosis.

To help achieve and maintain peak bone mass, it is also important to avoid consuming excessive amounts of nutritional and antinutritional factors that interfere with calcium absorption or that promote renal excretion with urine.

For example:

1. Do not exceed with sodium: if in excess, in addition to favoring hypertension, this mineral increases renal calcium excretion from the bloodstream
2. Do not exceed with phosphorus: this essential mineral for the synthesis of hydroxyapatite (the bone mineral), if proportionally in excess with respect to calcium, hinders the absorption of the latter. Given that in the diet phosphorus is generally more abundant than calcium, some specialists recommend being careful not to associate phosphorus-rich foods (such as certain fishery products) with those rich in calcium (given that, especially in milk and dairy products - which are the main sources of calcium - phosphorus is already present in sufficient quantities).
3. Do not overdo it with proteins: it has been hypothesized that an immoderate supply of proteins, due to the considerable nitrogen residue, may also increase the renal excretion of calcium from the bloodstream
4. Do not exceed with fibers, with phytic acid, with oxalic acid and with tannins: the fibers are indispensable for the correct functioning of the intestine, but if in excess they hinder the intestinal absorption of nutrients. Oxalic acid, phytic acid and tannins have the tendency to bind with certain minerals in the intestine, including calcium, preventing their uptake.
5. Do not exceed with sucrose and ethyl alcohol; are considered negative factors for the proper metabolism of calcium and bone.
6. Do not exceed with stimulants such as caffeine and theophylline.

Useful tips to follow in the diet for osteoporosis

1. Promote the consumption of calcium-rich foods; especially milk and derivatives. Certain fishery products, legumes and whole grains also contain a marginal percentage. However, plant calcium is not to be considered completely bioavailable due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors.
2. Consuming milk and derivatives, a satisfactory proportion of phosphorus is also reached.
3. Promote the consumption of foods rich in vitamin D; although this vitamin is synthesized mainly in the skin on exposure to sunlight, more or less significant amounts of vitamin D can be taken with the diet. It is present in the liver, especially of fish such as cod, in the meat of fish (especially blue), in the oil obtained from it, in egg yolk and in mushrooms.
4. Consume an adequate amount of highly protein foods: for example, limit the portion of meat dishes to 100 g, cured meats to 50 g, 150 g fishing products, aged cheeses to 50 g, fresh cheeses to 100 g of milk and yogurt at 125 ml, of eggs at 50 g (number 1). The frequency of consumption is:
• about two weekly portions of meat,
• two or three of fishery products,
• three eggs in all
• two portions of seasoned cheese or three of fresh cheeses (except the grain on the first courses),
• three a day of milk and yogurt;
• the cured meats are to be consumed occasionally, as well as the canned fish.

They may seem small portions, but we must not forget that proteins are also contained in foods of vegetable origin (especially in legumes).

5. Exclude added salt from the diet or limit it as much as possible. The same is true for salty foods (cold cuts, cured meats, canned fish, salted snacks - such as pretzels or chips or peanuts - very mature cheeses, all foods in brine or salted, etc.).
6. Consume the right amounts of cereals and legumes, and assess the relevance of whole grain products: in addition to being rich in fiber (which in excessive calories and abundant portions become excessive) they contain many anti-nutritional agents. The portion of the cereals for the first courses should be around 80 g; 50 g for dried vegetables, while bread is 50 g (we omit the other derivatives such as biscuits, rusks, etc.). The total quantity and the number of portions varies greatly depending on the general composition of the diet.
7. Consume the right amounts of fruit and vegetables: for the same reasons described above. 4-6 portions per day of 50-250 g between raw and cooked foods may suffice.
8. Eliminate the consumption of added sugar and limit the sweet recipes as much as possible.
9. Eliminate alcohol.
10. Limit the consumption of coffee, fermented tea, energy drink.

Calcium, Diet and Osteoporosis

The diet of Italians is often low in calcium (on average it only produces 700-800 mg / day). This deficiency predisposes many people to osteoporosis (especially post-menopausal women).

The daily calcium requirement for adults is estimated at around 800-1, 000 mg a day. The following table shows the recommended daily intake levels for different ages:

Some medium mineral waters and the same drinking water with a high calcium content contribute in a non negligible way to the coverage of the daily needs of this precious mineral.

Looking at the table, you realize how simple it is to take the right amounts of calcium with your diet. For example, 37 g of Parmesan or 82 g of gorgonzola are enough to introduce 500 mg of calcium, almost half of the recommended daily allowance.

To prevent osteoporosis a good percentage of the calcium taken with the diet should also derive from plant foods: rich are the sesame, walnuts, almonds, cabbage and legumes.

Optimize the absorption of Food Calcium

The absorption of calcium present in food is favored by the simultaneous presence of:

• Vitamin D (contained in animal fats)
• Lactose (milk sugar)
• Some amino acids
• Optimal ratio between phosphorus and calcium.

For this reason, while the composition in macro and micronutrients of dairy products and blue fish favors the absorption of the calcium contained in them, some substances present in plants make this process more difficult.

Foods Yes and Foods No

Summary of recommended foods and not recommended in the osteoporosis diet

Vitamin D and Osteoporosis

How important is vitamin D in the diet?

Vitamin D or calciferol is not really a vitamin, but a hormone, which mainly controls the intestinal absorption of calcium.

The skin synthesizes vitamin D by exploiting the action of ultraviolet rays B.

Thanks to the heat that these rays produce, the conversion of dehydrocholesterol (precursor) into vitamin D occurs in the deep layers of the skin.

Other organs such as the liver and kidney are important in the metabolism of calciferol, as they favor its metabolization and activation.

According to some epidemiological studies, there is a widespread vitamin D deficiency in the population over 65; due to this deficiency, the absorption of calcium in the intestine is compromised, aggravating a situation already compromised by aging.

To increase the levels of this vitamin in the diet, it is important to consume the right amounts of eggs, salmon, butter and milk.

Given that almost all of vitamin D is synthesized in the skin, especially for the elderly who already suffer from osteoporosis, it is advisable to associate the right exposure to the sun with a balanced diet.

Diet and bone fractures