Most people consume substances that rob nutrients from bone. Such substances include large amounts of animal protein, sugar, colas, caffeine, fats, alcohol, and excess salt. Avoiding consumption of these foods will help retain more minerals within your body.
Two cups of brewed coffee (roughly 300 mg) is enough to cause significant bone mineral loss. Figure out how much caffeine you consume in a day with our Caffeine Counter.
Both high quality essential fats and protein are essential for good bone health. Too much protein or fat, however, actually damages bone. You can calculate your fat and protein with our Protein/Fat Counter. For most individuals, 50 to 60 g of protein is adequate, and fat intake should be cut from our average of nearly 100 g to 50 g, or even a bit less.
You should keep your salt intake below 2,000 mg/day (roughly one teaspoon) because salt depletes calcium and other vital minerals in bone.
In addition to its other health-depleting effects, tobacco is a serious bone robber, and it therefore should be eliminated by those interested in bone health.
For a more complete discussion of this topic, please see Susan Brown’s book Better Bones, Better Body.