Bone Health and Nutrition
Eating more veggies may help you bone up on better health.
Here is more proof that bone strength involves multiple nutritional components. A randomized control study in The Journal of Nutrition linking bone health and nutrition found that eating vegetables for 2 months—in the amount recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans—improves bone health. The 102 adult participants were classified as having overweight or obesity and had typically had low vegetable intake.
Researchers measured nutrient intake, plasma carotenoids, excretion of acid and calcium in the urine, and bone turnover markers in the blood in participants who ate extra vegetables as compared with the control group. The anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidant properties of vegetables may be why they benefit our bones.
Alarmingly, recent data from the CDC shows that only about 10% of U.S. adults are consuming the recommended levels of vegetables: 2- to 3-cup equivalents of vegetables every day.
See also: Having the Bone Health Talk With Clients
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
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