DR MEGAN ROSSI: The secret to healthy bones? You can’t beat onions!
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Bone is an amazing material: weight for weight, it’s actually as strong as steel. Well, healthy bone is, but weakened bone can break with the force of a simple sneeze.
However, few people think about the health of their bones until they have a fracture or a scan that identifies weakness.
However, it really is something we should all pay more attention to, as weak bones can ultimately rob you of your independence, and in many cases there are very simple dietary and lifestyle adjustments (including eating! of onions!) that can help prevent future problems. And these are things that I think everyone should be doing from a young age, even in their early 20s.
Bone is a living thing: old bone is constantly breaking down and being replaced with new bone (our skeleton is completely replaced over a decade).
Bone is an amazing material: weight for weight, it’s actually as strong as steel. Well, healthy bone is, but weakened bone can break with the force of a simple sneeze, writes Dr. Megan Rossi (pictured)
But from a very young age, starting at age 30, we lose more than we gain, that is, we experience a progressive loss of bone mass, a process that accelerates in women after menopause.
For those with osteoporosis, the process is further accelerated and their bones can become so weak that even a slight bump, sudden movement or sneeze can lead to a fracture.
This is still incredibly common: according to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, more than three million people in the UK have osteoporosis (and it’s more common in women).
The risk of osteoporosis depends on multiple factors, including genetics and taking certain medications, such as steroids, which can slow the production of new bone.
But diet can also play a role, and many people with osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis when bone begins to weaken, can prevent progression to full-blown osteoporosis by switching to a more bone-friendly diet.
The only thing we can all do for our bones is to have calcium rich foods in two meals a day.
For people with osteoporosis, the process is further accelerated and their bones can become so weak that even a slight bump, sudden movement or sneeze can cause a fracture.
About 99 percent of bone is made up of calcium, which helps shape strength and structure. If your diet doesn’t provide enough calcium for your body’s needs (it’s also required, for example, to help your heart contract, digestive enzymes work, blood clot, and your nervous system work), then it will leak from your bones, weakening them.
But the pathways through which calcium is absorbed can become saturated, like a traffic jam on a busy highway. So if you have a single calcium-rich meal that contains more than 500mg (the amount in a large glass of milk), your body will absorb much less than if you eat small amounts throughout the day.
So what are the best sources? Milk, yogurt, good quality cheese and sardines are fantastic. Sardine bones are especially rich in calcium.
I also eat chicken wing tips: I crisp them in the oven for a delicious, calcium-rich snack, and two provide about 400 mg of the 700 mg calcium we need daily.
Those who follow a plant-only diet must be smarter.
Spinach and rhubarb provide calcium, but they also contain oxalates, compounds that bind calcium, meaning it’s not as easily absorbed. The same mechanism explains why foods like nuts, seeds, and whole grains that contain phytates are also not considered good sources of calcium. However, tofu in calcium (it will say so on the package), broccoli, kale, and spring greens are all decent sources. But if your diet is plant-based, I also recommend drinking calcium-enriched plant-based milks.
Bone health isn’t just about calcium. You also need an adequate amount of vitamin D, since several of the transporters that carry calcium through our intestinal lining depend on vitamin D to function; having enough vitamin D increases calcium absorption by about 50 percent.
Now to explain about the onions. These are a type of prebiotic, like garlic, legumes, artichokes, dates, and barley, which act as fertilizers, feeding gut bacteria that make the gut a bit more acidic, an environment that makes calcium be more absorbable.
Prebiotics can help bone health in other ways, too. They are broken down by gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids, which in animal studies have shown to help regulate osteoclasts (the cells responsible for breaking down bone) and bone mass.
Onions specifically contain the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol, which are believed to stimulate osteoblasts (the cells that make new bone).
A 2009 study published in the journal Menopause found that women over the age of 50 who ate onions one or more times a day had better bone density than those who ate onions once a month or less.
The researchers suggested that women who ate onions daily could reduce their risk of hip fracture by more than 20 percent compared to those who never ate onions. I’m not saying onions are a ‘superfood’ for bones, but research suggests they can play an important supporting role (and baked with olive oil and chopped dates, they’re irresistible; see my recipe, above).
Exercise is also good for your bones, specifically weight-bearing or high-impact exercise, as it exerts a force that encourages cells to form new bone in response. This includes running, brisk walking, aerobics or tennis, but even taking the stairs can help. In the meantime, watch out for bone saboteurs. One of the worst (apart from smoking, which slows down osteoblast activity) is crash dieting.
Diets that provide fewer than 1,000 calories per day can reduce bone density, and research by the University of Colorado in the US found that bone loss resulting from weight loss is not reversed when weight is regained .
So if you’re trying to lose weight, go for the slow and steady strategies which also tend to result in better weight maintenance in the long run. And when you diet, continue to eat sources of calcium and protein.
Finally, let me bust a myth: The idea that sparkling water will strip calcium from your bones is not supported by science. In fact, you may want a glass to wash down your crispy chicken fingers.
did you know
Most people know that chocolate is toxic to dogs. It is due to a chemical called theobromine, which increases heart rate and dilates blood vessels. Dogs cannot break this chemical down, so its effects are heightened, and the darker the chocolate, the more theobromine, and the more risk to dogs.
ask Megan
My mother has kidney problems, especially high potassium levels. Are there foods to improve kidney function and lower potassium (or foods to avoid)?
james law
Potassium is found in a variety of foods and is important for maintaining a regular heartbeat, among hundreds of other functions.
Normally, your kidneys control your potassium levels, regardless of what you eat. Unfortunately, if they’re not working well, you need to watch your potassium intake.
Many healthy foods such as avocados, bananas, legumes, potatoes, and plain yogurt are high in potassium. But that doesn’t mean your mom should cut them out entirely: Some cooking techniques, for example, double-boiling potatoes (that is, boil, replace the water, and return to a boil), leach some of the potassium out of certain vegetables, making it which may be a way for your mother to continue to enjoy them regularly.
Instead, you should focus on avoiding sources of potassium that are otherwise nutrient-poor, such as chips, shakes, and processed meats. But it’s important to be referred to a renal (kidney) dietitian who can help develop a personalized meal plan for your needs and level of kidney function.
Try This: Halloumi Sprout Canape
Don’t like Brussels sprouts? This recipe with caramelized onions will change your mind, and gives you the perfect combination of prebiotics for you and your gut this Christmas.
Makes 15 cocktail sticks.
- 15 Brussels sprouts
- ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 80g halloumi, cut into 5 slices
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 15 cocktail sticks
For the caramelized onions:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 150g red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 Medjool date, made into a paste (using the back of a spoon and 2 tablespoons boiling water) or 1 tablespoon sweetener of choice
Preheat oven to 200c/180c fan/gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the sprouts in the olive oil and season, then spread out on a tray and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through and beginning to change color.
Meanwhile, prepare the caramelized onions by heating a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.
Add the onion, balsamic vinegar, and date paste. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until sticky and caramelized.
In a small skillet over medium heat, fry the halloumi for one minute on each side until golden.
To assemble, cut each halloumi slice into thirds. Cut each sprout in half. Place one half on each stick, add a little onion, then a piece of halloumi, then a little more onion, a drop of mustard and top with the other half of the sprout.
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