Top 6 Foods for Strong Bones

Many of you know that vitamin D is essential for strong, healthy bones.

But it’s not a one-man show.

Even if your D levels are as high as mine, you could still be missing out on essential nutrients for bone health.

And that means you may be accidentally setting yourself up for brittle bones and higher fracture risk.

One nutrient, in particular, works hand-in-hand with vitamin D and calcium to support new bone formation and healthy bone metabolism.

In fact, a deficiency of this vital vitamin can put you on the fast track to osteoporosis. And set up a grim future filled with painful broken bones and difficult recoveries.

But you don’t need a supplement to avoid that date. Just stock up your refrigerator with a few of these key foods .

Vitamin K is ESSENTIAL for healthy bones because it ensures calcium gets into your bones and stays out of your arteries.

In fact, this makes it just as crucial for your heart as it is for your bones.

But instead of going the supplement route, focus on including plenty of K-rich foods in your diet.

Men need an average of 120 mcg of vitamin K daily.

Women need about 90 mcg.

Regularly eating one or more of the following foods should provide all the vitamin K your body needs.

1. Spinach. Just one cup of raw spinach contains 145 mcg of vitamin K. Eat it in a salad, mix it in a shake, or sauté it with olive oil and garlic.
2. Collard greens and turnip greens. Grab a handful of greens for a super shot of vitamin K1 (a form called phylloquinone). With 530 mcg of vitamin K1 in just HALF a cup, boiled turnip greens give you the most bang for your buck.
3. Broccoli. Another good option, broccoli contains 110 mcg per half cup. Eating the entire plant—florets, stems, and leaves—will provide the most phylloquinone.
4. Beef liver. This is one of the best meat-based sources of vitamin K, but if you turn your nose up at this nutrient-rich meat, chicken is a close second. Poultry has 10 times the vitamin K of beef or pork.
5. Egg yolk. Egg yolks boast anywhere from 67 to 192 mcg of vitamin K, depending on the chicken’s diet. For the highest amounts of vitamin K, be sure to choose eggs from organic, free-range chickens.
6. Natto. I saved the best (highest) K food for last. If you’re not familiar with it, natto is a Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans. Just 3 ounces contain 850 mcg of vitamin K. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that regularly eating natto provides great bone health benefits.

Because vitamin K is fat-soluble (which means your body absorbs it best when consumed with fat), be sure to eat these foods with a healthy fat, like salmon, nuts, butter, or olive oil.

P.S. WARNING: This popular “healthy” diet followed by millions of people can lower your bone density and increase your risk of fractures by up to 43 percent.

SOURCE:

Sweeney, E. (September 24, 2022). “These 11 Vitamin-K Rich Foods are Key for Healthy Bones and So Easy to Add to Meals.” Parade. https://parade.com/health/vitamin-k-foods