Essential Foods That Guard Against Brittle Bones

Osteoporosis is a disease that is more prevalent in women than in men, in white and oriental women than in black women, in post menopausal women more so than in younger women and in thin women more than in heavier women. Osteoporosis causes the bones to become depleted of calcium, more porous and less dense, resulting in vulnerability to fractures in the affected person. Getting enough calcium is important but as one gets older, the body becomes less adept at absorbing calcium thus compounding the situation.

Performing weight bearing exercise like walking and having an adequate intake of foods that contain calcium, vitamin D and phosphorous do help prevent osteoporosis. Calcium is contained in milk, yogurt, cheese, broccoli and green leafy vegetables. Calcium is also in nuts, particularly adequately in soybean nuts, almonds and Brazil nuts. Broccoli and green leafy vegetables except perhaps for spinach (which may contain too much oxalate, a substance that interferes with calcium absorption) are good sources of calcium. Salmon and sardines help build up your body's supply of calcium as well. And don't forget rhubarb and figs, two tasty sources of calcium although rhubarb as well as spinach may contain too much oxalate. Not as tasty as it sounds but a good source of calcium is Blackstrap molasses. Tempeh and tofu, two other soybean products, are also rich in calcium.