I knew that excess caffeine and sodas decrease bone mass, but I didn’t know that table salt, hydrogenated oils (trans fats), and wheat bran do, too. Fortunately for us oldsters, there are very good substitutes, such as pink Himalayan salt, green tea (less caffeine than coffee), and non-wheat cereals. That’s not to say that healthy eating is only for the elderly, though. The sooner you start, the better. Trust me on this, younguns!
"Generally speaking, for every 2,300 milligrams of sodium we take in, about 40 milligrams of calcium is lost in the urine – which is a big problem for seniors," says Dr. Walding.
“While avoiding bone-damaging foods will certainly help support efforts to keep bones healthy, there is one stand-out dietary habit that researchers believe yields the greatest impact on our ability to rebuild and strengthen bone tissue – and that is collagen protein.
Collagen is one of the most plentiful proteins in mammals. It is responsible for several biological functions, one of which is to provide structural support in connective tissues like muscles, joints, skin, and bones.
In fact, approximately 90% of the bone matrix is comprised of collagen protein.”
