STAYING SOLID – expert tips for maintaining bone health on a vegan diet

The bones that form your skeleton aren’t permanent, unchangeable structures, they are constantly rebuilding themselves, depending on your lifestyle. Hormones play a role too, mainly during puberty and menopause.

Your physical activity, lifestyle and diet dictate the architecture of your bones so cultivating bone-healthy habits is excellent health insurance.

What happens in bones?

Your bones react quickly to any changes, releasing calcium if there’s too little in your blood or binding it in their structure when you’ve eaten a calcium-rich meal. They are constantly repairing microdamage, breaking down and rebuilding parts of themselves and reshaping their inner structure in response to pressure and movement.

Fun fact: Astronauts are at high risk of bone weakening because zero gravity means no pressure and weight is applied to their bones. As a countermeasure, astronauts in space exercise using specialised equipment that simulates weight-bearing activities to reduce bone loss.

What do bones need?

We tend to think that bones need calcium to be strong and healthy but they need much more – plenty of energy to fuel all the work that happens, amino acids (protein) for maintaining the protein scaffolding in which minerals are deposited (minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and boron) and vitamins C, D and K that are involved in bone metabolism.

Your bones also need regular weight-bearing activity that stimulates a strong bone structure.

Bone health tip #1: Don’t skimp on calcium

According to UK guidelines, you need 700 milligrams per day. It’s not difficult to achieve on a vegan diet but it doesn’t happen automatically so it’s smart to make good calcium sources a part of your daily menu.

Best plant-based calcium sources include kale, spring greens, broccoli, Chinese leaf, bok choy, cabbage, sesame seeds and tahini, almonds, chia seeds, calcium-set tofu (check the ingredients for calcium sulphate), tempeh, beans, dried figs, plant-based milks and yoghurts fortified with calcium, fortified vegan breakfast cereal, wholemeal bread, butternut squash and oranges.

You absorb the most calcium from these green leafy veggies but they also offer many other health benefits, including reducing your risk of cancer so make sure to eat some daily.

Pro tip: For most people, it’s better to obtain calcium from food than from supplements. High calcium intakes from supplements pose a health risk – you should never have more than 2,000 milligrams daily.

Bone health tip #2: Eat your fruit and veg

It may come as a surprise, but scientific studies clearly show that daily fruit and vegetable consumption leads to healthier bones. A Swedish study found that people who don’t eat any fruit or vegetables on a daily basis have 88 per cent higher risk of hip fracture compared to people who get their five-a-day.

Fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of potassium and magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid and carotenoids. Potassium and magnesium help to balance out acids in the body, preventing bone loss and reducing fracture risk. Vitamin C plays an important role in bone health, supporting bone maintenance and collagen (bone protein) formation. Vitamin K is vital for bones and osteoporosis prevention. Folic acid (together with vitamin B12) helps to maintain healthy levels of homocysteine in the blood and that is also linked to a lower risk of fractures. Lastly, carotenoids and other antioxidants reduce oxidative stress (an attack on cells by substances called free radicals) which helps to preserve bone health.

Bone health tip #3: Choose quality protein

Bone is 22 per cent protein so having a sufficient protein intake is important for bone health.

Plant-based foods are great for your bones because they supply quality protein along with a range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants needed for good bone health. Best choices include tofu, edamame, lentils, beans, chickpeas and products made from them, nuts and nut butters and wholegrains.

Bone health tip #4: Top up your vitamin D

Your body needs vitamin D to absorb and retain calcium in the bones. If you lack vitamin D, you can develop calcium deficiency even if your diet provides plenty.

Vitamin D is made in your skin following exposure to natural sunlight so unless you spend your days indoors or always protect your skin, you probably get enough during the sunnier, warmer months. However, you may need a supplement from October to April because your skin cannot make enough. This applies even if you eat fortified foods, such as plant milks, cereals and margarines as these contain relatively small amounts. The recommended daily dose is 10 micrograms or 400 IU (international units).

Bone health tip #5: Don’t smoke

Smoking can hinder calcium absorption, reduce your bone density and slow down the rate of bone repair. What’s more, it also causes oxidative stress that triggers undesirable reactions within the bone and supports inflammation.

The good news is that quitting smoking reverses some or even all your bone loss and may restore your bone metabolism back to normal. Don’t wait too long, however, as once osteoporosis develops, it’s very difficult to repair the damage.

Bone health tip #6: Move about

Being physically active is as vital for strong and healthy bones as a balanced diet. Bone is the most responsive to physical activities where you carry your full body weight or more and create impact either with the ground or objects – it means hiking, running, ball games, racket sports, dancing, weight-lifting, Pilates, yoga, gardening, DIY projects, even cleaning the house and dog walking.

Without weight-bearing activity, you can’t have optimal bone health. As one study put it – exercise is the best non-pharmacologic tool for osteoporosis prevention and even treatment.

Healthy lifestyle, healthy bones

There’s no getting around it, a healthy vegan diet along with a moderately active lifestyle is the winning combination for bone health. One without the other just doesn’t work that well so start building bone-healthy habits today and you’ll reap the rewards for many years to come.