Did you know what you eat could directly be affecting your bones and even lead to osteoporosis: a condition where the bones get weakened and brittle? Here are some foods that aggravate osteoporosis and are harmful to your overall health in general.

• Salt

Salt is bad for the bones. It is to be noted that Americans are consuming nearly twice as much salt on a daily basis. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans has advised that in order to lead a healthy life, one should ideally restrict their salt intake to one teaspoon, which comes to about 2,300 milligrams a day. However, most Americans consume a little over 4,000 milligrams a day!
Processed meats and foods, canned “anything” like soups, vegetables, juices, baked products, and, most importantly, fast foods like pizza, tacos, french fries, and burgers are replete with salt and could directly have an impact on your bone health.

• Soda and cola drinks 

Most carbonated soft drinks contain high amounts of phosphoric acids, which increases the excretion of calcium in the urine. This largely affects women who are already low on calcium much more than anybody else.

• Caffeine

For every 100 milligrams of caffeine consumption, one loses about 5 milligrams of calcium. Between genders, the risk of osteoporosis is far more for women, and for those who do not have enough calcium intake, caffeine could pose to be the biggest threat. Osteoporosis is also known to affect women post their menopause stage.

• Excess alcohol consumption 

Those who consume alcohol in excess are far more susceptible to diabetes, which in turn could lead to osteoporosis. The recommended alcohol consumption guideline for men is two drinks per day and for women is one per day.

• Food sensitivities 

Most of the immune system is largely found in the digestive tract. Therefore, it becomes important to understand what foods suit you and what does not. Bloating, indigestion, bowel issues, gas, acid reflux are typical symptoms of food sensitivity. Try and avoid foods that cause such symptoms in order to maintain a healthy gut and to avoid osteoporosis.

• Pro-inflammatory fats 

It is the healthy fats like omega 3 fatty acids from sources like avocado, fish, olive, flax, and dairy that are good for one’s health. Unhealthy fats like vegetable oils from corn, soy, sunflower, and canola are full of polyunsaturated omega 6 essential acids. The omega 6 present in these oils can cause inflammation, which is certainly not a good or healthy sign for osteoporosis.

• Burnt foods 

While burnt foods are the most “in thing” in the world of culinary, they increase the chances of production of rigid proteins, which in turn cause inflammation. When it comes to osteoporosis, what we have to do is the exact opposite: consume foods that are anti-inflammatory in nature.

The safest strategy would be to be in moderation. Take foods that are low in salt, minimally processed, and fresh. Ensure to get your daily dose of calcium in place.