5 steps to stronger bones to prevent osteoporosis

Want stronger bones to help prevent osteoporosis? Vonda Wright, MD, shares nutrition tips to strengthen your bones, including why calcium and magnesium are a dynamic duo and why you should watch out for too much protein.

Transcript

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Hi, I'm Dr. Wright with smart ways to strengthen your bones.

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There are certain things you can do to zap the calcium right out of your bones. For starters, watch out for colas

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and other caffeinated drinks. The 16 phosphates in caffeinated drinks can rob your bones of calcium.

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Also watch the timing of your calcium intake. You can only absorb about 600 milligrams of calcium

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in a two hour period. So you need to spread the doses out throughout the day. It's also recommended to get 1,000 international units

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of vitamin D3 a day if you're under 60 and 1,200 international units if you're over 60.

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That's because vitamin D3 helps remodel bone and allows proper calcium distribution.

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Adding 400 milligrams of magnesium in the mix also helps prevent constipation and bloating from calcium.

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Finally, watch out for too much protein. A protein heavy diet can make your blood more acidic.

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Then, your body steals calcium from your bones to neutralize the acid. Eat no more than half a gram of protein