| Looking for a simple way to strengthen your bones? | | | | Zinc prevents bone fractures in men, but only if the |
| Eat less meat and more vegetables. Diets that | | | | body has adequate supplies of both copper and zinc. |
| emphasize meat and cheese, especially aged cheese, | | | | The bones need copper to absorb calcium, so it is |
| tend to make the blood very slightly more acidic, but | | | | important that your zinc supplement also contain |
| enough to increase the leaching of calcium out of | | | | copper. |
| bones. Milk and ice cream provide less calcium than | | | | You can enhance the benefits of calcium |
| cheese but interfere with bone minerals less, too. | | | | supplementation by consuming foods rich in |
| Smoked fish in excess can reduce mineral content in | | | | monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. |
| bone. | | | | These are the fatty acids found in seeds and nuts. |
| If you drink calcium-enriched fruit juices, choose apple | | | | They are particularly important if you rely on diet for |
| over orange. The lower acidity of the apple juice and | | | | calcium. Bone loss, especially in the neck, is slowed the |
| its glucose to fructose ratio are more favorable to | | | | most by these beneficial fatty acids in women who |
| calcium absorption than orange juice. | | | | consume the least calcium, relying on diet. There are |
| If you take calcium supplements, even 1500 mg of | | | | many reasons to believe that "bad" fatty acids, such |
| supplements (850 mg or more of elemental calcium) a | | | | as those found in margarine and baked goods, would |
| day will have no effect on the amount of calcium | | | | accelerate bone loss, but this hypothesis has not been |
| retained in your bones if you consume more than 1,600 | | | | borne out in actual, clinical research. |
| mg of sodium a day. If you consume no more than | | | | Soy isoflavones are also helpful in stopping bone loss, |
| 200 mg of sodium a day, as little as 400 mg of | | | | but this does not mean you need a soy-based diet. |
| elemental calcium (about 750 mg of calcium | | | | Your body can only absorb an amount of isoflavones |
| supplements) will increase the absorption of calcium | | | | equivalent to a 1 oz (30 g) serving of tofu or soybeans |
| into your bones. If you consume a high-salt diet, calcium | | | | a day. More soy won't hurt, but it won't help, either. Soy |
| supplements are a waste of time. The sodium in salt | | | | isoflavones seem to be most effective for stopping |
| accelerates bone destruction as much as the calcium | | | | bone loss in the lumbar spine, that is, the lower back. |
| in the calcium supplements prevents it. | | | | |