What to eat, what to not eat with a broken and healing bone
There is a 50/50 chance that you love coffee as much as I do - I am not sure how I statistically came up with that probability, for the record, I did take a statistics class.
For you caffeine lovers, I have some bad news, especially if you are currently suffering through a broken bone. I wasn't sure how true it was when I first read about the negative effects caffeine has on bone healing and bone health, so I decided to open up my research tab and tap into the research gifts of others. * * * Not only does caffeine increase the acidity of the blood, increasing urinary calcium excretion, but it also can induce cell death and trigger apoptosis of osteoblasts; in other words, caffeine kills the cells which build bone (Su et al. 2013). In addition, it has been found that caffeine enhances osteoclastogenesis, the process of osteogenic differentiation of stem cells into osteclasts, which tear down the bone, balancing, or in this case, antagonizing the effects of osteoblasts. Why the heck is this? Caffeine has potential deleterious effects on osteoblasts viability, which may enhance the rate of osteoblast apoptosis (Tsuang et al. 2006). Caffeine has also been observed to promote osteoporosis, especially in older women who have a decrease amount of estrogen due to their post-menopause status. * * * All in all, I found that caffeine consumption, through coffee, is OK in moderation, meaning about one 8 ounce cup of coffee a day, depending on the exact concentration of caffeine. One article mentioned that a daily consumption of more than 300 mg of caffeine may harm the body especially over long period of time. In my opinion, one is at risk of seeing the effects of caffeine on bone health if they (1) drink an excess of caffeine, (2) are older, (3) have a post-menopause status, (4) have a broken bone in the process of healing, or (5) do not take in the proper nutrients {excess of sugar, fast food and not enough of vital nutrients}.
So the real question - do I still continue to drink caffeine? Yes, I have not completely cut out caffeine from my diet, because sometimes it is my 'treat for the day,' and if I don't go to coffee, then I will go to cookies or chips or chocolate, and I figure coffee is a healthier alternative. On the days I do ingest caffeine, I also take in more calcium; for example, on coffee days, I'll drink two cups of orange juice instead of one.
So coffee consumption may need to be decreased, based on how important bone healing is to you . . . but what nutrition needs to be increased?
Well, in addition to an anti-inflammatory diet and the assumed increase of calcium in the diet, there are a few other vitamins and minerals which are important in encouraging bone healing and repair. Five of Adderly's (2000) seven items stuck out to me.
1. Vitamin D For a nursing student like myself, who has already taken the nutrition course and learned about osteoporosis and osteomalacia in Med-Surg and then again in pathophysiology, the need for this mineral in reference to bone health is as understood as the need for calcium; for, without vitamin D, calcium is practically useless. Indeed, vitamin D is needed for the absorption of calcium. From where do you get Vitamin D? The easiest way to soak up some vitamin D is to get outside in the sun! Vitamin D is not naturally found in many foods; however, orange juice and milk are fortified with vitamin D, meaning it is added.
For the repair of my broken bone, my doctor recommended I start on multivitamins, taking in an extra 1000 units of vitamin D each day. Dad went to the store and got some adult gummies, which are packed full with vitamin D and many other vitamins and minerals I need for bone repair; plus, they are gummies, so I never forget to take them!
2. Vitamin K Known as the clotting vitamin factor in my Med-Surg course, a low dietary intake of vitamin K has also been correlated with an increase in osteoporosis and fractures (Bugel 2003). Vitamin K is thought to be a needed building block of osteocalcin, a protein which helps make osteoblasts, which are the 'bone building cells' of the body. If you ask any nurse where to find vitamin K, no doubt they will be able to tell you right of hand; I mean after all it is, like, the first thing you learn when you come through those nursing school doors! Dark leafy greens are packed with vitamin K, to include kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, basil, brussel sprouts, chili spices, asparagus, pickles, soy beans, and prunes.
Unrelated to the repair of bones, another interesting duty of vitamin K is related to its part in the clotting process. Interesting enough that I did my teaching project on vitamin K and warfarin last semester in my Med-Surg rotation. #sorrynotsorry #totalnerdstatus
3. Magnesium Magnesium has been found to be an important factor in calcium absorption; it seems as if every vitamin and mineral has an effect on each other and being 'low' in one can lead to a domino-effect type problem. According to Adderly (2000), as well as Dr. Susan Brown, magnesium plays a part in the conversion of vitamin D into its active form, as well as direct affects on the crystallization of calcium and bone deposits. It has been found that a decreased intake of magnesium in older, postmenopausal women has increased their risk and severity of osteoporosis and related fractures. You know what is next! The foods which you can find magnesium include soy beans, spinach, shrimp, salmon, almonds, cashews, and avocados to name a few.
4. Potassium According to Dr. Susan Brown, potassium serves as a metabolic-acid neutralizer as well as a calcium conserver. Alkalizing potassium compound forms found in fruits, vegetables, seeds and many spices help neutralize the pH in the body, making an acidic environment more basic which decreases bone resorption and the amount of minerals lost in the urine. In other words, potassium acts as a 'calcium safeguard,' guarding against the loss of calcium deposits found in the blood and in the bone. Examples of foods high in potassium include the following: avocados, spirulina/seaweed (I have found spirulina in snacks at The Apple Crate, and they are actually delicious), pinto beans, cantaloupe, prunes, orange juice, salt substitutes. Caution: potassium intake may want to be carefully monitored in anyone with heart or kidney disfuntions and disorders; potassium is a very vital nutrient, but can also be very detrimental to health if too little or too much is retained within the body.
5. Boron This funny sounding mineral is not fully understood quite yet in its relations to bone health, however, it has been found to help increase the absorption of calcium and help preserve bone density. According to OneGreenPlanet, it has even been found to stimulate metabolism and improve mental functioning! Chickpeas, almonds, broccoli, apples, pears, prunes, and avocados are a few foods which contain a hearty amount of boron.
For an increase in boron, I have increased my consumption of apples; apples aren't my favorite fruit, in fact, I haven't really eaten much of them in the past few years until I read up on their boron content encouraging the absorption of calcium.
So here I stand/sit, eating fruits and vegetables like my life depends on it!
What is the final verdict? Increase your intake of fruits, veggies and nuts and decrease your intake of crap foods, such as fast food hamburgers, pizza, and sugary death-ness sodas. Eat more natural. After all, vegetarians do have a lower osteoporosis rate!
TTYL. gonna go eat some apples now -
* * * * * *
For you caffeine lovers, I have some bad news, especially if you are currently suffering through a broken bone. I wasn't sure how true it was when I first read about the negative effects caffeine has on bone healing and bone health, so I decided to open up my research tab and tap into the research gifts of others. * * * Not only does caffeine increase the acidity of the blood, increasing urinary calcium excretion, but it also can induce cell death and trigger apoptosis of osteoblasts; in other words, caffeine kills the cells which build bone (Su et al. 2013). In addition, it has been found that caffeine enhances osteoclastogenesis, the process of osteogenic differentiation of stem cells into osteclasts, which tear down the bone, balancing, or in this case, antagonizing the effects of osteoblasts. Why the heck is this? Caffeine has potential deleterious effects on osteoblasts viability, which may enhance the rate of osteoblast apoptosis (Tsuang et al. 2006). Caffeine has also been observed to promote osteoporosis, especially in older women who have a decrease amount of estrogen due to their post-menopause status. * * * All in all, I found that caffeine consumption, through coffee, is OK in moderation, meaning about one 8 ounce cup of coffee a day, depending on the exact concentration of caffeine. One article mentioned that a daily consumption of more than 300 mg of caffeine may harm the body especially over long period of time. In my opinion, one is at risk of seeing the effects of caffeine on bone health if they (1) drink an excess of caffeine, (2) are older, (3) have a post-menopause status, (4) have a broken bone in the process of healing, or (5) do not take in the proper nutrients {excess of sugar, fast food and not enough of vital nutrients}.
So the real question - do I still continue to drink caffeine? Yes, I have not completely cut out caffeine from my diet, because sometimes it is my 'treat for the day,' and if I don't go to coffee, then I will go to cookies or chips or chocolate, and I figure coffee is a healthier alternative. On the days I do ingest caffeine, I also take in more calcium; for example, on coffee days, I'll drink two cups of orange juice instead of one.
So coffee consumption may need to be decreased, based on how important bone healing is to you . . . but what nutrition needs to be increased?
Well, in addition to an anti-inflammatory diet and the assumed increase of calcium in the diet, there are a few other vitamins and minerals which are important in encouraging bone healing and repair. Five of Adderly's (2000) seven items stuck out to me.
1. Vitamin D For a nursing student like myself, who has already taken the nutrition course and learned about osteoporosis and osteomalacia in Med-Surg and then again in pathophysiology, the need for this mineral in reference to bone health is as understood as the need for calcium; for, without vitamin D, calcium is practically useless. Indeed, vitamin D is needed for the absorption of calcium. From where do you get Vitamin D? The easiest way to soak up some vitamin D is to get outside in the sun! Vitamin D is not naturally found in many foods; however, orange juice and milk are fortified with vitamin D, meaning it is added.
For the repair of my broken bone, my doctor recommended I start on multivitamins, taking in an extra 1000 units of vitamin D each day. Dad went to the store and got some adult gummies, which are packed full with vitamin D and many other vitamins and minerals I need for bone repair; plus, they are gummies, so I never forget to take them!
2. Vitamin K Known as the clotting vitamin factor in my Med-Surg course, a low dietary intake of vitamin K has also been correlated with an increase in osteoporosis and fractures (Bugel 2003). Vitamin K is thought to be a needed building block of osteocalcin, a protein which helps make osteoblasts, which are the 'bone building cells' of the body. If you ask any nurse where to find vitamin K, no doubt they will be able to tell you right of hand; I mean after all it is, like, the first thing you learn when you come through those nursing school doors! Dark leafy greens are packed with vitamin K, to include kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, basil, brussel sprouts, chili spices, asparagus, pickles, soy beans, and prunes.
Unrelated to the repair of bones, another interesting duty of vitamin K is related to its part in the clotting process. Interesting enough that I did my teaching project on vitamin K and warfarin last semester in my Med-Surg rotation. #sorrynotsorry #totalnerdstatus
3. Magnesium Magnesium has been found to be an important factor in calcium absorption; it seems as if every vitamin and mineral has an effect on each other and being 'low' in one can lead to a domino-effect type problem. According to Adderly (2000), as well as Dr. Susan Brown, magnesium plays a part in the conversion of vitamin D into its active form, as well as direct affects on the crystallization of calcium and bone deposits. It has been found that a decreased intake of magnesium in older, postmenopausal women has increased their risk and severity of osteoporosis and related fractures. You know what is next! The foods which you can find magnesium include soy beans, spinach, shrimp, salmon, almonds, cashews, and avocados to name a few.
4. Potassium According to Dr. Susan Brown, potassium serves as a metabolic-acid neutralizer as well as a calcium conserver. Alkalizing potassium compound forms found in fruits, vegetables, seeds and many spices help neutralize the pH in the body, making an acidic environment more basic which decreases bone resorption and the amount of minerals lost in the urine. In other words, potassium acts as a 'calcium safeguard,' guarding against the loss of calcium deposits found in the blood and in the bone. Examples of foods high in potassium include the following: avocados, spirulina/seaweed (I have found spirulina in snacks at The Apple Crate, and they are actually delicious), pinto beans, cantaloupe, prunes, orange juice, salt substitutes. Caution: potassium intake may want to be carefully monitored in anyone with heart or kidney disfuntions and disorders; potassium is a very vital nutrient, but can also be very detrimental to health if too little or too much is retained within the body.
5. Boron This funny sounding mineral is not fully understood quite yet in its relations to bone health, however, it has been found to help increase the absorption of calcium and help preserve bone density. According to OneGreenPlanet, it has even been found to stimulate metabolism and improve mental functioning! Chickpeas, almonds, broccoli, apples, pears, prunes, and avocados are a few foods which contain a hearty amount of boron.
For an increase in boron, I have increased my consumption of apples; apples aren't my favorite fruit, in fact, I haven't really eaten much of them in the past few years until I read up on their boron content encouraging the absorption of calcium.
So here I stand/sit, eating fruits and vegetables like my life depends on it!
What is the final verdict? Increase your intake of fruits, veggies and nuts and decrease your intake of crap foods, such as fast food hamburgers, pizza, and sugary death-ness sodas. Eat more natural. After all, vegetarians do have a lower osteoporosis rate!
TTYL. gonna go eat some apples now -
* * * * * *
Adderly, B. (2000). 7 Supplements for better bones. Better Nutrition 62(7): 72-76. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Bugel, S. (2003). Vitamin K and bone health. Proc Nutr Soc 62(4): 839-43. Retrieved from PubMed.gov
Su, S. J., Chang, K. L., Su, S. H., Yeh, Y. T., Shyu, H. W. & Chen, K. M. (2013). Caffeine regulates osteogenic differentiation and mineralization ofprimary adipose-derived stem cells and a bone marrow stromal cell line. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 64(4): 429-436. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Bugel, S. (2003). Vitamin K and bone health. Proc Nutr Soc 62(4): 839-43. Retrieved from PubMed.gov
Su, S. J., Chang, K. L., Su, S. H., Yeh, Y. T., Shyu, H. W. & Chen, K. M. (2013). Caffeine regulates osteogenic differentiation and mineralization ofprimary adipose-derived stem cells and a bone marrow stromal cell line. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 64(4): 429-436. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Tsuang, Y. H., Sun, J. S., Chen, L. T., Sun, S. C. K., Chen, S. C. (2006). Direct effects of caffeine on osteoblastic cells metabolism: the possible causal effect of caffeine on the formation of osteoporosis. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, 1(7); 1-10. Retrieved from EBSCOhost