6 Foods to Boost Bone Strength

For those who are diagnosed with osteoporosis, it is important that you get essential nutrients into your system such as vitamin D and of course, calcium. Research suggests that the best time for you to get these vitamins is at the start of your day specifically during breakfast. Unfortunately, not a lot of people know where to get calcium and vitamin D at the start of their day. Yes, most breakfast foods that are being sold today like milk, orange juice, and cereal contain calcium but there is more to this than these foods.

If you want to boost your bone strength to combat the effects of osteoporosis, here are six foods that you should consider adding to your diet.

1. Yogurt. Getting your vitamin D from sunlight is always a good idea but sometimes you need more to improve your bone strength. Fortunately, yogurt is fully fortified with vitamin D which makes it a great breakfast choice. A cup of yogurt contains around 30% of the required calcium and 20% of vitamin D. Just make sure that you go for fat-free yogurt instead of the regular yogurts because some of them won’t have much vitamin D and calcium in them.
2. Cheese. Yes, cheese does contain plenty of calcium but eating too much of it isn’t really a great idea because you will be gaining more pounds which can put pressure on your joints. Eating 1.5 ounces of cheese can actually provide you with about 30% of the recommended amount of calcium. Although cheese does contain some vitamin D, it’s not enough to make any impact to your body.
3. Spinach. Those who are lactose intolerant may have some trouble keeping dairy in their system. The good news is that there are other sources of vitamin D and calcium that you can eat such as spinach. Just imagine that a cup of spinach already contains 25% of the recommended dietary amount for calcium plus other nutrients like iron, fiber, and vitamin A.
4. Collard greens. Just like the vegetable, spinach, collard greens are full of calcium. Eating a cup of cooked collard greens is equivalent to 25% of your recommended daily calcium. What’s great about this leafy green is that you can add it in your favorite dish like frittata and the like.
5. Fortified cereal. There are some types of cereals that are actually packed with up to 25% of your recommended vitamin D. If you don’t normally get out too much because of your busy schedule or don’t have time to buy salmon and cook it at home, getting your hands on some fortified cereals can actually be good for you.
6. Surprisingly, these little fish that are often canned actually contain plenty of calcium and vitamin D. Although they may look weird for some, they actually add a nice taste to various dishes like pasta.

These are just a few examples of foods that are good for developing bone strength. If you want to increase your calcium and vitamin D levels, you should add these in your list of foods to buy.