Tips from Dr Marilyn Glenville
If like me, you were feeling virtuous by eating lots of spinach, it appears that where this particular vegetable is concerned you can have too much of a good thing.
One if the biggest risks for women post menopause is osteoporosis. There are a number of risk factors for osteoporosis that apply whatever your age, but the emphasis for preventing and treating osteoporosis is to make your diet more alkaline. Calcium neutralises acid, so the more acidic your food, the more calcium has to be taken from your bones to make your body more alkaline.
The more fruit and vegetables you eat the more alkaline your body becomes and there will be less loss of calcium from your bones. However, both spinach and rhubarb contain oxalic acid, which reacts with calcium in the digestive system and stops it being absorbed, so if you have osteoporosis they should be avoided and you should reduce your intake if you are worried about bone health.
Foods to reduce or eliminate for bone health
Other foods to reduce or eliminate include cheese, as it is one of the most acidic foods you can eat and you can actually lose more calcium from your bones than the amount of calcium you will get from the cheese. The harder the cheese the more acidic it is. Out of all the dairy foods, plain live organic yogurt would be the better choice, as it is more alkaline and also contains beneficial bacteria otherwise go for organic milk.
Coffee and sugar also cause an acidic reaction and alcohol contributes to osteoporosis because it acts as a diuretic , leaching out valuable minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Research also shows that higher intakes of animal protein are associated with lower bone density, with women who consume a higher animal protein diet at greater risk of hip fractures.
Jo Carroll
Heavens – I’m vegetarian. Looks like all the things I like are bad for me – grrrr!
Ceri Wheeldon
Jo, I eat lots of spinach thinking it’s rich in iron as I don’t eat red meat – I was so surprised to read that it could have a detrimental effect on bone health. Marilyn has put together recipes with foods which ARE good for us – I’m happy to say that lots of vegetables are included!
Debra Sharpe
I was shocked to find this out about spinach because I try to eat it when I can. I just discovered spinach and feta omelets recently and now I find it could be working against me since I have bone density issues.