If you don’t want to suffer from osteoporosis when you get old, I advise you to eat more of these 5 foods, especially women!

Osteoporosis is an invisible killer that can slowly make people shorter, hunchbacked, and cause back pain. If you don't get checked, you'll hardly notice you have osteoporosis. But once you fall, you'll easily break a bone.

According to the results of the first epidemiological survey on osteoporosis in China released by the National Health Commission in October 2018, the prevalence of osteoporosis in women over 50 years old in my country is 32.1%, which is more than five times that of men (6.0%)! The prevalence of osteoporosis in women over 65 years old is as high as 51.6%.

For middle-aged women, it is really important to pay attention to preventing osteoporosis. In addition to proper exercise and maintaining good living habits, a reasonable diet is essential. Today we will introduce 5 types of food to better prevent osteoporosis.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Why middle-aged women

More prone to osteoporosis?

There are many reasons why middle-aged and elderly women are prone to osteoporosis, the two most important of which are: on the one hand, it is the loss of bone mass due to aging, and on the other hand, it is mainly related to the decline in estrogen levels after menopause.

1

Bone mass begins to decline after age 35

The bone mass in our body is like a bone mineral bank. The more bone mass we have when we are young, the more bone mass we will have when we are old. The process of bone mass accumulation slows down around the age of 20, and most people reach their peak bone mass at the age of 30 to 35. After the age of 35, as we age, the rate of bone loss is faster than the rate of bone formation.

Image source: WIKIPEDIA. Osteoporosis

2

Decreased estrogen levels

After women enter middle age, their ovarian function gradually declines and estrogen secretion decreases. Estrogen can promote the absorption and utilization of calcium, inhibit the activity of osteoclasts, and reduce bone loss. When estrogen levels drop, bone absorption is greater than bone formation, which will lead to osteoporosis. A study on postmenopausal women found that within 5 to 10 years after menopause, women's bone mass will drop precipitously.

In addition to the above two important reasons, middle-aged and elderly women may also increase the risk of osteoporosis due to insufficient calcium intake, excessive sun protection, reduced exercise and some bad lifestyle habits, such as smoking, drinking, high-salt diet, drinking large amounts of tea and coffee, etc., which may lead to obstructed calcium absorption or increased calcium loss.

Osteoporosis recommends eating more of these 5 types of food

In addition to proper exercise and maintaining good living habits, a reasonable diet is essential for the prevention and improvement of osteoporosis.

Bone is a calcified tissue, and the bone matrix is ​​composed of 65% minerals (hydroxyapatite) and 35% organic components (mainly collagen). In daily life, we need to pay attention to the intake of nutrients related to these components.

1

High calcium foods

Calcium is the main component of bones and is essential for maintaining bone health. Middle-aged women should eat more calcium-rich foods, such as dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), soy products (tofu, black beans, soybeans), green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, rapeseed), nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts) and seafood (shrimp, dried fish, kelp), etc.

According to the latest recommendations of the "Reference Intake of Nutrients for Chinese Residents (2023)", the recommended daily calcium intake from 18 years old to old age is 800 mg. In fact, this intake can be easily achieved by properly combining the above foods.

How to get 800 mg of calcium a day?

According to the recommended amount of each food in the "Chinese Dietary Pagoda" and the calcium content of each food in the "Chinese Food Composition Table", we will list how to ensure adequate calcium intake in a day's diet↓

2

High-protein foods

Protein is an organic component in bones and plays an important role in maintaining the elasticity and toughness of bones. Ensuring the intake of high-quality protein in the diet is more conducive to digestion, absorption and utilization.

High-quality protein mainly comes from animal foods and beans. It is recommended that high-quality protein account for 30% to 50% of the total protein in the daily diet. Middle-aged women should consume moderate amounts of lean meat (pork, beef, lamb), fish (bass, salmon, hairtail), eggs (chicken eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs), dairy products (milk, yogurt) and soy products (tofu, dried bean curd).

The recommended daily protein intake for adult women is 55g. For middle-aged women, increasing protein intake appropriately can help prevent and improve osteoporosis. As long as you don't pursue a vegan diet, a balanced diet is not likely to lack high-quality protein.

3

Foods Rich in Vitamin D

Vitamin D can promote the absorption and utilization of calcium. The vitamin D deficiency rate among Chinese residents is high, which needs to be paid attention to.

Foods rich in vitamin D mainly include fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), cod liver oil, animal liver and egg yolks, but these foods rich in vitamin D usually have high cholesterol or are eaten less, and are not the main source of vitamin D.

However, there is a kind of plant food that can greatly increase the vitamin D content after certain processing - this food is mushrooms. Most mushrooms contain less than 50 IU of vitamin D per 100g, but it is still far from the daily requirement of 400 IU.

However, exposing mushrooms to the sun can greatly increase the content of vitamin D. After purchasing, we can choose a sunny afternoon and expose them to the sun for 0.5 to 2 hours, and the vitamin D2 content can easily reach more than 400 IU. If you can slice them and dry them, the effect will be better.

Data source: USDA Food Database

If you cannot ensure adequate daily vitamin D intake through your diet, consider taking a 400 IU daily supplement to get it more efficiently.

4

Low-salt foods

You may be curious, what is the relationship between salt and osteoporosis?

In fact, excessive salt intake will increase calcium loss, thereby accelerating bone loss. Salty processed foods such as salty condiments, braised meat and pickles, and seasoning packets for convenience foods are all places where salt gathers.

In addition, foods that don’t taste salty, such as plums and noodles, are actually hidden places for invisible salt. When buying pre-packaged foods, compare more and try to choose low-salt or salt-free ones to reduce unnecessary salt intake.

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022 Edition)" recommends that salt intake should not exceed 5g per day.

5

Other foods that are good for your bones

In addition to the foods mentioned above, there are some other foods that are also good for bone health.

For example, soy products are rich in soy isoflavones, which have a structure similar to estrogen and are a good supplement for women with low estrogen levels in their bodies; fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, such as bell peppers and kiwis, can promote the synthesis of collagen and make bones more resilient; vitamin K can deposit calcium in the blood into the bones. Green leafy vegetables, beans, animal liver, etc. are all foods rich in vitamin K.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Osteoporosis is a serious health challenge faced by middle-aged women. Preventive measures such as a proper diet and moderate exercise can effectively reduce the risk of osteoporosis. It is recommended that middle-aged women eat more foods rich in nutrients such as calcium, protein, vitamins, such as dairy products, soy products, green leafy vegetables, lean meat and seafood.

At the same time, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, eating a low-salt diet, maintaining good living habits and regularly performing bone density testing are also important measures to prevent osteoporosis.

References

[1] National Health Commission of China. World Osteoporosis Calendar Year Theme. http://www.nhc.gov.cn/gzss/ndzt/201410/a827b85be0444b01b5c345e0977af402.shtml

[2] China Center for Disease Control and Prevention. [World Osteoporosis Day] A graphic to understand: core information on healthy bones. https://m.chinacdc.cn/jkzt/mxfcrjbhsh/jcysj/201910/t20191021_206372.html

[3] Chinese Medical Association Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Disease Branch. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of primary osteoporosis (2022)[J]. Chinese General Practice, 2023, 26(14): 1671-1691. DOI: 10.12114/j.issn.1007-9572.2023.0121.

[4] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[5] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 2[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2019

[6] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2022.

[7] Yang Yuexin, Ge Keyou. Chinese Nutrition Science Encyclopedia 2nd Edition (Volume 1)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2019.

[8] Yang Yuexin, Ge Keyou. Chinese Nutrition Science Encyclopedia 2nd Edition (Volume 2)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2019.

Planning and production

Author: Li Chun, registered nutritionist

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Ji Gang, deputy chief physician of orthopedics, the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University