Diet Example for Osteoporosis

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The following indications are for informational purposes only and are not intended to replace the opinion of professionals such as a doctor, nutritionist or dietician, whose intervention is necessary for the prescription and composition of personalized food therapies.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a loss of bone tissue that makes bones fragile and more prone to fracture; moreover, it reduces its ability to repair itself in the event of damage.

In the presence of osteoporosis there is a reduction in bone mineral density, with alteration of the microarchitecture and the protein component.

Osteoporosis occurs mainly in the elderly; among these, most are menopausal women.

The most important risk factors for the onset of osteoporosis and related complications are:

• failure to reach peak bone mass in adolescence (due to undernutrition or malnutrition associated with very low motor activity)
• bone loss in adulthood
• premature menopause or other conditions of hypo-estrogenism.

Osteoporosis is differentiated into primary (postmenopausal and senile) and secondary (to other diseases or to the use of certain drugs); this determines the multiplicity of risk factors and a consequent articulation of all preventive actions.

Among these we remember:

• Care in reaching peak bone mass in development by means of:
  • adequate nutrition (with sufficient levels of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K1, vitamin C and magnesium)
  • sun exposure (for the endogenous synthesis of vitamin D)
  • mechanical solicitation (motor activities).
• Reduction of bone thinning in adulthood due to lifestyle or other factors negative Which:
  • abuse of cortisone drugs
  • diet deficient in calcium, magnesium, vitamin K1 and vitamin D.
  • excessively high protein diet
  • excessively high sodium diet
  • diet deficient in other vitamins (vitamin C)
  • very low sun exposure
  • absent motor activity
  • abuse of alcohol and other nerves or drugs or smoking.
• For women, possibly, estrogen-progestogen replacement hormone therapy;
• Monitoring of risk factors and bone density by means of specific diagnostic procedures.

For further information: Diet for Osteoporosis

Diet for Osteoporosis

The diet for osteoporosis is a diet useful to prevent the decrease in bone mineralization or at least to reduce it as much as possible. The key aspects of the osteoporosis diet are:

• Normocaloric energy intake
• Adequate nutritional breakdown
• Adequate intake of calcium and magnesium
• Adequate intake of vit. D, vit. K1, vit. C (consider that vitamin K1 is largely synthesized by the intestinal bacterial flora and vitamin D is mostly synthesized in the skin thanks to sun exposure)
• Sufficient supply of potassium and magnesium (alkalizing minerals)
• Protein intake in the safe range (between the minimum and the maximum), considering that in old age the protein excesses are decidedly little frequent, while a lack of plastic nutrients is more common (due to both the diet and the reduced absorption capacity). However, if it does occur, there is evidence that an excess protein could promote urinary excretion of calcium.
• Sodium intake added as low as possible; the excess of this mineral salt is responsible for the increased urinary excretion of calcium.
• Monitoring of the calcium / phosphorus ratio; an excess of phosphorus can compromise the absorption and metabolism of calcium
• Verification and possible moderation of chelating / anti-nutritional agents in the diet (phytates, oxalates, tannins, excess of some dietary fibers, caffeine, alcohol, etc.) which can reduce the absorption of calcium.

In practical terms, the osteoporosis diet will need to:

• Allowing you to maintain your body weight and be equally distributed, both in terms of energy macronutrients and in terms of the division of meals
• Contain adequate amounts of:
  • dairy products and milk derivatives (respecting the portions and verifying the total amount of phosphorus); these foods also contain lactose and some amino acids which favor the absorption of calcium.
    • Find out how to make some calcium-rich foods at home:
      • Video Recipe Cheese
      • Mozzarella Video Recipe
      • Ricotta Video Recipe
      • Milk Flakes Recipe Video
      • Yogurt Recipe Video and Kefir Video Recipe
    • fish, rich in vit. D.
    • Fresh fruit and vegetables, for the contribution of vit. C, K1, potassium and magnesium
    • Legumes, whole grains and oil seeds, rich in magnesium;
  • Lacking or deficient in:
    • Cooking salt and foods rich in sodium
    • Alcohol, coffee
  • Taking care not to exceed:
    • With dietary fibers and with foods rich in phytates and oxalates (rhubarb, spinach, etc.)
    • With portions of meat and fish, not to exceed the protein content
    • With cheeses and other foods too rich in phosphorus.

Useful Supplements

For osteoporosis, more drugs are prescribed than supplements; to tell the truth, excluding estrogen-progestogen replacement therapy, the other products suitable for the prevention / moderation of this pathology are essentially based on: bioavailable calcium and vit. D in its most active form. In this case, what differentiates the aforementioned drugs from the more common supplements is simply the concentration and dosage. While overuse of a supplement "hardly" carries a health risk (with all the molecule and dosage differences), overdoing it with osteoporosis drugs "could" more easily result in noteworthy side effects.

Example

Premature menopausal woman characterized by a predisposition to osteoporosis (familiarity and already visible vertebral bone rarefaction). He is currently on hormone replacement therapy. He works in the office and (recently) plays sports.

Osteoporosis Diet Example - Day 1

As is clearly visible in the nutritional translation of day 1, the shares of calcium, potassium, vit C, vit. D, sodium and ethyl alcohol are perfectly within the guidelines mentioned in the previous paragraph. Only the protein content, due to needs related to the practicability of the portions and the achievement of the other nutritional quotas, is to be considered at the upper limit of the advisable intake.

Osteoporosis Diet Example - Day 2

Osteoporosis Diet Example - Day 3

Osteoporosis Diet Example - Day 4

Osteoporosis Diet Example - Day 5

Osteoporosis Diet Example - Day 6

Osteoporosis Diet Example - Day 7