What you eat and drink matters when you have osteoporosis. Diet accounts for about 25 percent of your risk for bone loss and fractures, according to Amy Joy Lanou, the director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health and professor in the Department of Public Health Leadership and Practice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n
The good news is you don\u2019t need a restrictive diet to support bone health. \u201cIt goes back to good nutritional strategies,\u201d Lanou says. \u201cBright colors, variety and nutrient density \u2014 that whole package is good for bones.\u201d<\/p>\n
The key is understanding how food affects calcium, the mineral that makes up most of your bones. You need to get enough of it (about 1,300 milligrams per day) and hold on to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really need to keep calcium in your body,\u201d Lanou explains. \u201cIt has to get into bones, and then you have to keep it in bones by not eating an overall dietary pattern that leeches it back out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here are five foods that can compromise your bone health \u2014 and how to limit them without sacrificing variety or enjoyment.<\/p>\n
1. High-sodium foods<\/p>\n
While your body needs sodium to function, too much can build up in the blood and increase your risk of health issues, including bone loss. In one study, postmenopausal women who consumed high amounts of sodium had higher rates of osteoporosis and lost more calcium through their urine than women with lower intakes.<\/p>\n
The cellular pump our bodies use to move sodium into the urine also uses calcium . \u201cFor every ion of sodium that\u2019s pulled out, a calcium ion goes with it,\u201d explains Connie Weaver,<\/p>\n
The recommended limit for sodium is less than 2,300 mg per day, though most adults average over 3,300 mg. Major dietary culprits include:<\/p>\n
A simple way to cut back on sodium is to keep the salt shaker away from your meals at home, though that\u2019s not where most sodium in our diet comes from. \u201cSomewhere around 15 percent of our daily intake is added at the table with the salt shaker,\u201d Weaver says. Rely on black pepper and other herbs and spices for flavor instead. (Read 7 Salt Substitutes and How to Use Them for more ideas.) And limit packaged and restaurant foods, which make up more than 70 percent of our salt intake.<\/p>\n
Choosing canned and frozen foods labeled as low-sodium and no-salt-added can also help reduce calcium loss.<\/p>\n
2. Red meat<\/p>\n
Red meat supplies key bone-supporting nutrients like protein and iron, but research on its overall impact on bone health is mixed. Red meat tends to be high in saturated fat, and studies show that diets high in saturated fat are linked to bone weakness and increased bone loss.<\/p>\n
One large 2024 study that followed nearly 84,000 people for 23 years found that each daily serving of meat (predominantly red and processed) raised hip fracture risk by 3 percent. But when researchers reviewed all available studies as of 2021, they found no clear link between red meat and hip fractures. They also noted that much of the research on this topic is of low quality.<\/p>\n