Osteoporosis and Your Diet

Featuring Diana Steele, BSc, RD
Video Title , Osteoporosis and Your Diet
Duration: 1 minute, 34 seconds

If you're been diagnosed with osteoporosis or you're just trying to improve your bone health, there are several things you need to think about.

First of all, are you getting enough calcium? Adolescents need 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day, adults need 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, and older adults, over the age of 51, are aiming for 1,200 milligrams of calcium. But if you have osteoporosis, you could be looking at 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day.

In order to absorb that calcium and deposit it in your bones, you need to get at least 600 international units of vitamin D. That can be achieved by getting sunshine without sunscreen for about 10 minutes per day, but in the winter you may not get that sunshine, and food sources of vitamin such as milk and fortified soy beverages are difficult to get enough of so you may be looking at getting vitamin D supplements.

Other things you can do to improve your bone health are eating more fruits and vegetables. By consuming more fruits and vegetables, you'll get potassium, which helps reduce the loss of calcium in your urine. It also provides you with vitamin C, which is involved in bone formation.

Try not to smoke, reduce your intake of caffeine, alcohol and cut back on your sodium intake, and of course, weight burning exercise can help develop stronger bones. And of course, doing weight bearing exercise such as lifting weights, walking or jogging can help deposit that calcium into the bones and improve your bone health.

For more information on how to reduce your risk for osteoporosis, contact your local registered dietitian or your family doctor.

Presenter: Ms. Diana Steele, Registered Dietitian, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Registered Dietitian