Written By: Sandhya Raghavan | Updated: August 24, 2017, 10:16 PM
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What would you be without your bones? Just a sack of flesh and skin! Bones give our body its unique structure and form. Without which, standing up straight, walking and practically performing any physical activity would be unthinkable. While we are advised to eat our greens and drink milk for strong bones from a very young age, nobody told us what we should NOT have to maintain bone health. Here is a list of seven food items that are bad for our bones.
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Alcohol: This may not surprise you, but alcohol consumption has been associated with both oestoporotic fractures and low bone density. This means, booze can literally turn your bones brittle. It creates an inflammatory environment in your body that can affect bone development and healing. The risk of fracture increases exponentially. [1]
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Salt: That's right! Even a vital ingredient like salt, which we consume on a daily basis, can be bad for the bones. Apart from causing hypertension, excessive sodium or salt consumption can impact calcium absorbtion and lead to osteoporosis. [2] [3]
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Sugary drinks can put your at the risk of cardiovascular diseases. © Shutterstock
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Coffee and tea: While the beverages themselves may not be bad, it is the caffeine content that is the villain. Any drink containing caffeine can be bad news for your bones, be it coffee, tea or colas. Study says that caffeine reduces bone mineralisation, making bones more susceptible for fracture and osteoporosis. Decaffeinated drinks can be a good substitute. [7]
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Nightshade vegetables: This includes brinjal, tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. They belong to the controversial nightshade group of vegetables, which is also known as Solanaceae. These veggies contain alkaloids that are known to exacerbate arthritic symptoms. [8]
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Spinach: And we though spinach could do no wrong. But it turns out that these leafy greens have an abundance of oxalates, which can affect bone health. Although it is a good source of calcium, the body finds it difficult to extract this bone-building nutrient from foods that contains oxalates. [9]
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Red meat: Apart from posing a colon cancer risk, red meat can also impact your bone health. A study conducted in 2017 concluded that cutting down on red meat has a positive impact on bone health. [10]
