health Matters

by Dr. Thomas K. Lo, Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center

. Osteoporosis

Strategies for Strong Bones

Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens your bones, making them brittle and easily broken.

It is often called a silent disease because it’s largely symptomless until it’s not.

Many people don’t realize they have osteoporosis until a minor fall results in a broken hip, or they notice their spine curving and height shrinking.

Osteoporosis develops when your body loses bone faster than it can rebuild bone, leaving bones weak, porous, and prone to breaking.

Health Crisis

In the United States, roughly half of all women over 50 are currently living with thinning or brittle bones. This vulnerability leads to a bone fracture every three seconds.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis aren’t an inevitable part of aging. With the right nutrition, targeted supplementation, and lifestyle strategies, you can build and maintain strong bones well into your later years.

When Does Bone Loss Begin?

Bone loss typically begins decades before any symptoms appear.

Your bone mass peaks around age 30, after which your lifestyle choices determine whether your skeleton stays strong or gradually weakens.

As bone density declines, many people develop osteopenia—a condition where bones are weaker than normal, but not yet fragile enough to be classified as osteoporosis.

The habits you adopt in your 20s, 30s, and 40s—and the choices you make if you’re diagnosed with osteopenia—set the foundation for how robust your bones will be in your 60s, 70s, and beyond.

What Causes Osteoporosis?

Many factors can contribute to the process by which bones weaken over time.

Some of these factors are out of our control. These include being over the age of 50, being female, being postmenopausal, having a family history of osteoporosis, and having a small frame.

Hormonal changes that occur naturally with age may also increase osteoporosis risk, specifically an increase in parathyroid hormone, which regulates calcium and phosphorus levels in your bones.

Lifestyle factors also contribute to the risk of osteoporosis. Things that raise your chances of weakened bones include:

     Smoking.

     Leading an inactive lifestyle.

     Being underweight or overweight.

     Drinking alcohol to excess.

     Not eating enough fruits and vegetables.

     Consuming large amounts of sodium.

     Not getting enough calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin B12.

Certain medications may also promote bone loss and osteoporosis. Some of these include:

•   Steroids like glucocorticoids.

•   Proton pump inhibitors to reduce stomach acid.

•   The class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

•   Some type 2 diabetes meds (like thiazolidinediones).

•   Anticonvulsants.

•   Drugs to prevent blood clots (like heparin).

•   And some chemotherapies.

How To Prevent and Possibly Reverse Osteoporosis

When it comes to preventing and reversing osteoporosis, there’s a lot you can do. It starts with the building blocks of your skeleton and the food you eat.

1. The Role of Calcium in

Osteoporosis

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body, and about 99 percent of it is found in your bones and teeth.

Your bones aren’t inert; they undergo constant remodeling. One of their most important jobs is managing calcium stores, which they need both for bone formation and maintenance.

2. What Plant Foods Should You Be

Eating?

Some of the best plant sources of calcium are: green leafy vegetables, beans & legumes, broccoli, whole grains, dried fruit, and seeds and nuts. 

Penn State research in 2024 found that postmenopausal women who ate just 4 to 6 prunes daily maintained bone density and strength over a year, while women who didn’t eat prunes saw significant declines.

Prunes deliver not only calcium, but also boron, vitamin K, and polyphenols that work together to protect bone structure.

Just because certain foods are high in calcium doesn’t necessarily mean your body will absorb all that calcium. Some calcium-rich plant foods also contain oxalic acid (or oxalates), which can bind to calcium and inhibit its absorption.

Choosing low-oxalate greens can give you better calcium absorption than dairy.

High-oxalate greens like spinach, rhubarb, chard, and beet greens may deliver as little as 5 percent of their calcium content into your bloodstream.

Low-oxalate greens like kale, bok choy, collard greens, mustard greens, and broccoli are where the magic happens. Your body absorbs approximately 50 percent of the calcium from these vegetables, compared to only about 30 percent from dairy milk.

Focus on low-oxalate leafy greens as your primary calcium sources, and you’ll absorb calcium more efficiently than from dairy—while also getting fiber, antioxidants, vitamin K, and other bone-supporting nutrients.

Another compound that can inhibit calcium absorption is phytic acid, which is found primarily in beans and whole grains.

To lower phytic acid, soak dried beans for several hours or overnight, drain and rinse, then cook in fresh water. This process not only reduces phytates but also improves digestibility and increases the bioavailability of calcium and other minerals.

A cup of cow’s milk contains over 300 milligrams of calcium.

But when scientists look at populations worldwide, they’ve found a surprising pattern; countries with the highest dairy consumption—like the U.S., Great Britain, and Scandinavia—tend to have among the highest rates of hip fractures.

Meanwhile, populations in Asia and Africa with very low dairy intake often have much lower fracture rates.

What might explain this paradox?

Latitude and Vitamin D

Many high-dairy countries are far from the equator and have limited sunlight, leading to widespread vitamin D deficiency that impairs calcium absorption regardless of intake.

Dietary Patterns

Diets high in dairy often include high sodium and processed foods, which can increase calcium loss from bones.

What Calcium Comes With

Dairy provides calcium in relative isolation. Plant foods deliver calcium alongside magnesium, potassium, vitamin K1, and other bone-supporting nutrients that work synergistically.

Whole plant foods provide a more complete package for bone health than dairy products alone. When you get calcium from leafy greens, beans, and seeds, you’re also getting fiber, antioxidants, and alkalizing minerals that work together to support your skeleton.

While calcium gets most of the attention, protein is also vital for bone health. About half of bone volume is protein, primarily collagen, which forms the flexible matrix that gives bones structure and resilience.

Research shows that adequate protein intake is associated with higher bone mineral density and reduced fracture risk.

Plant proteins support bone health just as effectively as animal proteins, with an added advantage: They come packaged with potassium and magnesium, minerals that buffer dietary acids without requiring your body to draw on bone calcium reserves.

Good plant sources include legumes, soy foods, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

Foods That Promote Calcium Loss

It’s also a good idea to avoid certain foods that could work against your calcium balance. Some foods and beverages can promote calcium loss from your bones.

Foods that are high in sodium, like fast food and many packaged convenience products, can promote calcium loss. Swap out high salt for spices and other salt-free seasonings that add flavor to homemade dishes. 

Wheat bran is high in phytic acid, which inhibits calcium absorption. Unlike beans, wheat bran is the only phytate-rich food that appears to inhibit calcium absorption from other foods eaten at the same time.

Caffeine can reduce calcium absorption from foods and contribute to bone loss. So you may want to limit your consumption of caffeinated beverages like soda, tea, and coffee. At the very least, it’s recommended not to drink them within two hours of eating calcium-rich foods or taking calcium-containing supplements.

Also, dark colas have been linked to lower bone density because they contain phosphoric acid—a synthetic additive used for flavor and preservation. This inorganic form of phosphorus is absorbed much more readily than the phosphorus found in whole foods. When consumed in large amounts, it can trigger the body to leach calcium from the bones to maintain a proper mineral balance.

Prevent Osteoporosis with Lifestyle Strategies

While dietary choices form the foundation of bone health, they work best alongside strategic lifestyle habits like movement and exercise.

It turns out that bones operate on the “use-it-or-lose-it” principle. Your bones respond to mechanical stress by becoming stronger—and one source of that stress is simply your body weight.

The most effective way to create that bone-building stress is through weight-bearing exercise: walking, running, weight-lifting, dancing, climbing stairs, and playing tennis.

These activities use your body weight and help maintain your bone strength. The strain of muscular activity stimulates your body to shore up your bones.

Supplementation for Strong Bones

When it comes to bone health supplementation, three nutrients form the foundational trio: calcium, vitamin D3, and vitamin K2.

While getting calcium from whole plant foods is ideal, not everyone meets their needs through diet alone. Women over 50 need about 1,200 mg/day, but many plant-based eaters consume closer to 700–900 milligrams.

   Vitamin D3 plays a dual role in bone health: It enhances calcium absorption in your intestines and supports the muscles that help you maintain balance and avoid falls. Without adequate vitamin D, your risk of bone fractures increases significantly as you age.

Your skin produces vitamin D when exposed to direct ultraviolet light. Most people benefit from between 10 and 30 minutes of sun exposure per day, though those who live far from the equator or have darker skin may need more.

Vitamin K2  works synergistically with vitamin D by directing calcium to your bones rather than allowing it to accumulate in soft tissues and arteries. Think of it as traffic control for calcium—vitamin D helps you absorb it, and K2 makes sure it goes where it’s needed.

High doses of vitamin K2 have also been used to prevent further bone loss and fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

The main dietary sources of K2 for many omnivores are high-fat dairy products and organ meats. Plant-based eaters can get it from natto (a Japanese fermented soybean dish that’s exceptionally high in K2) and other fermented foods such as tempeh, sauerkraut, and kimchi.

Taking vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin K2 together ensures optimal absorption and utilization.

If you are struggling with health issues, call the Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center at 240-651-1650 for a free consultation.

Dr. Lo uses Nutritional Response Testing® to analyze the body to determine the  underlying causes of ill or non-optimum health.

The office is located at 7310 Grove Road #107, Frederick, MD. Check out the website at www.doctorlo.com.