I was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis. I am going to try and build my bone using diet instead of drugs. I am now on a low protein whole food plant based diet. I learned animal and dairy products are acidic and leach calcium from bones to neutralize the acidity in the blood. (I have been off animal foods for awhile now but my diet was still very high in protein). I am keeping my protein low, so that means legumes and grains that are a little bit on the acidic side are kept to a minimum. I am also eating prunes, edamame and almonds that I learned are good for the bones. I was also told I could take tums for calcium and walking with a weighted vest will help my bones. Greens have a lot of calcium so I need to eat plenty of that. Sesame seed has a lot of calcium too. I also have a Vegan supplement with naturally sourced calcium. Vit D is important too. I take a vit D3 supplement if I am not getting enough sun exposure which these days I am not living in Canada. Anyone else trying a whole food plant based diet to help their bones? My doctor wants to put me on Prolia. I read the side effects of it which the doctor did not share with me when I asked him what the side effects are. I had tried fasomax and had swallowing issues with it. That was back in my mid thirties when I had osteopenia. I want to avoid the side effects of medications and use food as medicine. I was told as a last resort natural estrogen patches may be helpful.
Diagnosed with osteoporosis. - Osteoporosis Support
Diagnosed with osteoporosis.
Hello. I am new to this forum. Like you, I have asked my doctor to hold off on medications and let me see if I can get the necessary nutrients for bone health through my diet. My doctor had recommended a Reclast infusion, but agreed to give my diet efforts a year and then repeat my bone scan. I have been trying to incorporate more legumes, greens, am eating prunes, and have added milk (soy and dairy - chocolate!) into my diet. I am also drinking calcium fortified orange juice. I have heard that a Boron supplement could be of benefit, but have not added that. Also broccoli is a good source of vitamin K. I read about the weight vest but there seem to be mixed reviews. I would love to hear what others have to say about it. I wish there was a solution for bone health that would fit all, as the information varies regarding supplements, etc. I had been taking supplements but they did nothing post menopause and that is when I went from osteopenia to osteoporosis. All the best with your dietary changes!
Thank you for replying and sharing what you are doing. Sounds like we are in the same boat! I think drinking soy milk is a great idea for getting more calcium. Many of the prominent plant based doctors I follow say to eliminate dairy and animal products in general is a very good idea as these foods are highly acidic and will leach calcium from the bones. Countries that consume the most milk also have the highest level of osteoporosis they have said. Tofu is also a great source of calcium and leafy greens like broccoli as you mentioned. This is a supplement that I like for naturally sourced calcium and K2 in a organic fruit and vegetable base: Garden of Life mykind Organic Plant Calcium - Vegan Whole Food Supplement with D3 and K2, Gluten Free, 180 Tablets. I love this supplement because I can chew it or let it naturally dissolve as I have trouble swallowing whole pills. Because it is in a base of vegetables it actually has a nice taste. I have a 12 lb weighted vest that I wear on my walks every other day for 30 min. I would recommend after checking with your doctor to start with an 8 lb weighted vest or less if necessary and just do a walk with it, no running with a weighted vest. I got mine on amazon and love it because the sand that creates the weight is distributed inside the whole vest, not just pockets and looks nice. Let me know if you would like the link for it. I like the idea of drinking the fortified orange juice. Sesame seeds are high in calcium too so perhaps tahini dressing to put on your salad or steamed broccoli or greens would be great and delicious! Let’s keep in touch as we learn from each other especially with what is working. Thanks again for reaching out. 🙂
Thanks for the response and supplement information. Yes, I would appreciate the link to the vest. And I am also in need of the estrogen information and will watch the video that Mark linked below. I would certainly appreciate staying in touch.
Here is the link to the weighted vest. You will see different weights to choose from. amazon.ca/dp/B07518RBH2/ref...
For estrogen cream, your doctor will need to write a prescription to the pharmacy with this formula, this is from an article written by Dr. McDougall, a prominent plant based doctor. I will send you a link to the newsletter where he talks about bone density in detail. This is his formula for the estrogen cream and what he wrote about it in his article: “As a final medical step, when I am very concerned that a woman is going to suffer in the near future a serious fracture due to weak bones, I will use estrogens applied to her skin daily. (I typically prescribe a combination of estradiol .05 mg with 20 mg of progesterone in one gram of cream base to be applied topically.) Estrogens always build bone, but have important side effects.”
This is the link to the article where I got the estrogen cream formula from. drmcdougall.com/misc/2012nl.... Dr. McDougall has written many articles on osteoporosis. If you want a link to all the articles, please let me know. This link I sent you is full of information too.
Thank you for the information. I will definitely read the articles. I am working with my doctor on the estrogen aspect with estradiol (non-systemic) along with my effort of dietary changes. Next Summer I should be able to see if the changes are working for me. The videos that are available via the American Bone Health website are very educational on nutrition and the latest studies on hormones, etc. I wish there was a one-size fits all answer to bone health but we all have different factors that have to be considered. Although I wish I had different medical care/advice when I was entering menopause, I am so grateful to have access to far more information and supportive people on this journey than my Mother ever did.
I see a problem with the recommended vest. What you really want for dealing with bones, not general strength maintenance, is a vest which allows you to add small weights every so often, to provide a continuous challenge. I'll try to find the link which explains this better, but am currently struggling with a little old tablet and not always able to copy and paste links.
hyperwear.zendesk.com/hc/en...
Although I use and recommend the vest described in the article (hypervest Pro) there are others. This type is good because the weights are very small which allows for careful adjustment, especially good for people with back issues.
These look more like ones I had been previously considering as the weight is distributed evenly. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for the link, the vests look nice. I like that you can add weights to the vest and the weights are not bulky.
Thank you for your comment and I see what you mean. I still like my vest because it doesn’t look like one and blends in easily with my black jacket. I have been using it for awhile now and still find it works for me. I challenge my bones further with a workout with dumbbells, pilates, yoga etc in addition to walking with the weighted vest each day.
I have to confess that I never am seen with this on, always wear something over it! 😉
You mentioned you had Osteopenia in your 30s. Were you able to get you bones back to a good T score then? Also, regarding the estrogen patch, my new OB/GYN told me that hormone replacement only works for a few years after menopause and as time goes by it’s ineffective in helping prevent osteoporosis. Have you been told something different?
My doctor at the time simply put me on fosamax without any dietary guidance. Back then I did as the doctor said and went on fosamax. I got off of it after a period of time because it caused me to have swallowing difficulties. I found that it was linked to the fosamax after doing my own research. The fosamax did improve my scores slightly. I was warned (from another source) that fosamax improves the outer bone and not so much the bone content (matrix I think it is called). So there is still a risk of fracture. I was low risk at the time because I was just under the bar for osteopenia, not quite there yet. I haven’t tried hormone replacement therapy but was told to try it as a last resort if the dietary and fitness recommendations are not working. The formulation is a combination of estradiol .05 mg with 20 mg of progesterone in one gram of cream base to be applied topically. Not sure how long I should be on it if I start, good question, I will find out and let you know. Thank you for your reply.
I was diagnosed with osteoporosis and I took alendronate for 1.5 yrs (from Jan 2020 - July 2021) and then stopped because it was causing digestive issues. In November, I received my first zoledronic acid infusion. Since I found out I had osteoporosis at the beginning of the pandemic, I really just did what my doctor suggested (things were hectic). Also he told me my bones were "horrible" and I felt like I needed to take action fast but I would much prefer to build my bones up naturally. I just added 5 prunes to my daily diet and might increase that to 10, and I met with a physical therapist last week to come up with an exercise program to help me strengthen my bones. I have heard that 1 rep max weight lifting is excellent for your bones but I don't want to fracture anything so that is something I am going to work on with my physical therapist. I'm planning to have another DEXA scan in either July or November of 2022 and as long as my bones have not worsened, I am considering telling my doctor that I want to push my 2nd infusion off for a year to see if I can build my bones on my own. I love that your doctor was ok with your decision to hold off on the meds. If you don't mind me asking, were you told you have osteoporosis or osteopenia?
I was told I have osteoporosis. I watched both videos at the American Bone Health website and one video did talk about prunes, roughly 12 a day but the presenter said 6 a day is also very good and helpful for the bones. From another source I was told snacking on prunes and almonds help your bones. I think 12 prunes is a lot but I am going to try and include between 6 and 12 prunes a day along with almonds. You might want to try resistance tubing exercises if you don’t want to start off with dumbbells. Also wearing a weighted vest on your walks can help ( with the physical therapist about those recommendations first). Let me know what else you are doing for your bones nutrition wise and exercise wise. Thank you for your reply.
Sorry for the delayed reply.
I have joined a gym and have been going a few days a week! And I am currently reading the Wahls Protocol. Although Dr. Wahls developed this diet to fight her MS, which she has pretty much successfully done. There are some parts of the diet that I think could benefit me. I have hypothyroidism, an autoimmune disease, and Dr. Wahls is pretty much a believer in all disease comes from the same place, diet and other environmental factors, that these things trigger the genes to start the onset of whatever, cancer, MS, ADHD, etc.
I learned that I had osteopenia in my 40s. I was put on Actonel for awhile at that time until a doctor said that I should not be taking bisphosphonates pre-menopause. So I just switched to calcium supplements. No one talked to me about getting bone supporting nutrients in my diet. I also did not understand that the first few years following menopause was the time period in which we are most at risk of losing bone density. So, now I have crossed into osteoporosis. The calcium supplements were not cutting it and, in fact, I actually developed a large kidney stone from the calcium supplements. My fracture risk is 12%, so that is partially why my doctor was open minded in my desire to work on bone health through my diet. Good for you on the prunes. I was trying 5 a day, but my stomach can't handle it so I dropped to 2-3 a day and that's manageable. Are you tolerating them? I am interested in your infusion as that is what my doctor had recommended but was willing to holdoff at this point. Did you have side effects after the infusion? I would certainly like to know your thoughts on the infusion since it is still a relatively new approach to osteoporosis.
Hi. When you say infusion, do you mean the recipe for the estrogen cream? If so I have not reached that point yet because I am trying to work on building my bones nutritionally first. It is supposed to be a last resort. Estrogen creams however, have been used for a long time now for osteoporosis and was what was used I believe before all the drugs were developed. If I go on it, I will do this recipe as it is from a trusted doctor, but I would need to know when and how much to use, where to apply and how long do I use it for. I had used fosamax back in my 30’s and I didn’t even have osteopenia, but I was edging towards it, so my doctor put me on it. I had to stop it as I could no longer swallow properly, one of the side effects of fosamax. I haven’t started the prune therapy yet. I find if I have too much fruit my triglycerides increase, but I might go ahead anyways in the name of bone health. It is kind of like the game of wack-a-mole. Try to nail something nutritionally to help a particular issue but then something else comes up. Thank you for your reply.
Dinamariea, when I mentioned the infusion I was responding to FearFracture who said they'd had a zoledronic acid infusion in November.
😄 OMG. So sorry about that! I will check the names next time!
No worries. 🙂
HI dinamariea, thank you for joining the forum and sharing your story. You might want to view a recent webinar hosted by American Bone Health called "Beyond Calcium and Vitamin D." It covers some of the ways that fruits and vegetables can help support bone health: americanbonehealth.org/bone...
Were you diagnosed with osteoporosis after a DXA scan? Did you also receive a report with your fracture risk assessment via the FRAX tool? The latter gives a good idea of your total risk, which has to do with other things besides just your T-score (such as other medical conditions, medicines you take, lifestyle, etc.). People in the U.S. can get a similar assessment using the American Bone Health Fracture Risk Calculator: americanbonehealth.org/calc...
Good luck!
Thank you for your reply and your link. I will definitely look at it. I did get a bone scan but did not get the FRA done so I will definitely check that out too! Your information will be very helpful for my quest to get my bones stronger naturally. I was told by a doctor two tums a day and possibly an estrogen ointment applied to the skin might be helpful too. I need to do more research on side effects of tums and estrogen ointments before I go that route. Maybe as a last resort. Thanks again!
You're welcome! Here is a video presentation about estrogen for bone health by a member of our medical advisory board. vimeo.com/357944436
Thank you for the link to this presentation.
Thank you, love the extra info!
Hi dinamariea, you might consider doing more research regarding a low protein diet when trying to build up bone. The belief that animal protein will contribute to an acidic state is a notion that has been circulating for a long time, but it is not accurate. The body is able to handle the breakdown of animal protein without causing an overload of acidity. If a person has only 1 kidney or a kidney disease, they may need to limit their protein intake in general, but otherwise they should be fine. Bones are made of protein and minerals and collagen is very very important in bones. As we age, we need even more protein actually, the current protein levels recommended for older adults are probably on the low side. Keeping (building) muscle requires adequate protein intake too, and strong muscles are also essential for healthy bones, and protective of our bones too. I use a high grade Bovine collagen powder everyday mixed in a smoothy as I find eating enough protein challenging, and I struggle with food allergies, and reactions that limit my diet. Trying to replace protein needs, especially as we age, with beans and plant based protein has its own challenges, including the difficulty in digesting beans, legumes, etc. This article was posted on an Osteoporosis support group, I found it very helpful. If you look up this doctor he has more recent, and indepth writing on this topic. blogs.creighton.edu/heaney/...
I still get plenty of protein from a whole food plant based diet. Legumes and quinoa are very rich in protein as is tofu. I was told to lower my protein but I still get a good amount. It was the animal products and dairy that I used to eat for many decades that got me in trouble in the first place. I love my plant based way of eating and will never go back to eating animal products. I thank you for your response and will read the link you provided. I have been told by my naturopath that older Caucasian petite females tend to be more susceptible to osteoporosis and I do fit this category as well. Please read “The Cheese Trap” by Dr. Barnard, I recommend this book to all individuals who think milk and dairy are helping their bones. I believe it isn’t.
I read the article and it is very good at pointing out how important protein is for bone health, not just calcium and vit D. Thank you again for sharing the link. Towards the end of the article he points out that first world countries source their calcium mainly from dairy but did not mention first world countries also have the higher rates of osteoporosis as well. Might there be a correlation? Studies show that there is an association. Please see attached video: youtu.be/rxnBDDqXSjk
Hi! I suspect the current osteoporosis numbers are not new or different, we just live longer now, especially post-menopausal years. Without estrogen we lose bone, period. Before DEXA (and Merck promoting dxa scans) there was not a lot of focus put on osteoporosis and bone health in general. I have been digging deep into DEXA scan data, and my current thinking is that this tool is being overly used to diagnose bone health. DEXA scans do not actually see your bones, they are measuring the spaces inbetween, which is mineral density, not bone strength or bone quality. This is a big topic, I encourage anyone with osteoporosis to dig in and do the research, it is very enlightening and helpful in determining your own path forward in maintaining a healthy life going forward. And in making sure your DEXA scan info is accurate. I have not been able to eat dairy for many years, so it has not been a source of calcium for me. My Family has dairy allergies. I am unable to eat legumes, beans, alternate protein sources as I am unable to digest them, they cause me a lot of pain and discomfort. I also suffer with Histamine Intolerance, which limits many of these foods for me. I am a reluctant carnivore. I cannot eat eggs either as I have an allergy to them. That said, I have been challenged to increase my protein intake...Collagen is incredibly important for bone health, and cannot be gotten from a plant based diet (plants can supply collagen helpers, but not collagen itself). Plant based proteins do not give the body the same things that animal based protein does. They are not the same. I have been using a high quality bovine collagen powder that increases my daily protein and gives me top notch collagen for my body to work with, hopefully going to my bones. I understand not wanting to eat animal products, I would prefer this myself! But I have found that my intellectual and emotional preferences do not necessarily have anything at all to do with my Physical body's health needs. Sometimes we are required to challenge our own notions and ideas about what is and is not healthy for us. The added problem is our genetics, which we do not get to vote about, they are what they are, the hand we were dealt when conceived. When attempting to rebuild lost bone, diets that may have worked when younger and full of hormones might not work as well to facilitate increase from a position of deficit. Great conversation dinamariea, thank you! This is the more in depth scientific version of the previous article I shared, it addresses several of your concerns. academic.oup.com/ajcn/artic...
I have heard many times by the doctors I follow that genetics loads the gun but lifestyle pulls the trigger. I actually switched to veganism 10 years ago because I wanted to avoid heart disease, this is what runs in my family. Every year I have tweaked it to make improvements and for the last two years I have been on a predominately whole food plant exclusive diet, largely to keep my BP and cholesterol low as well as keep my weight to where it should be. My bone issues started in my meat and dairy eating days. There was recently a G I summit that addressed what you describe with the beans. They say you have to go low and slow with the beans to give your micro biome time to adjust. My brother had the same issue as you. You might want to consider going to True North health centre, the doctors there use water only fasting if necessary and helped many people with many different issues reset and get rid of or reduce many ailments and medications. They also help people to be able to eat specific healthy food again. All the food they serve is whole food plant based and is salt, oil and sugar free. I am going in the summer for the first time to help me get off my BP medication safely and do some supervised water fasting. Just some ideas you might be interested in. Thanks for what you said about the dexa scan. Very interesting and I will look into that further. Thanks too for sharing and also for the link. I will check it out. Here is a link to the TrueNorth Health Centre. healthpromoting.com/
Agree about the need for protein. Plant based protein will be fine. I eat a lot of seeds and nuts, plus dairy, although only have milk in my tea. I eat cheese, yoghurt, kefir, eggs, and a very small amount of seafood, no other animal flesh. You also need to take Vitamin K2 which sends calcium to the bones so it doesn't settle where it shouldn't and cause problems, (I note you already are, so mention it for others reading this thread.)
I was told my by OB/GYN that because I went through menopause quite a while back that HRT (hormone replacement therapy) would not work. I took alendronate for 1.5 yrs but quit because it was causing digestive tract issues. In November, I rec'd my first zoledronic acid infusion. I was not thrilled about taking it but I felt like I didn't have a choice. My lumbar T-score in July 2019 was -3.9 and in July 2021 it was -3.7 so it did improve on the alendronate but it still needs a good deal of work.
I too would prefer a natural approach and I hate the thought of all the potential side effects of the taking biphosphonates (ONJ is no joke).
I was diagnosed with osteoporosis right after several years of turmoil: 2 major hurricanes within 11 months of one another, both times underneath our house flooded and we had to have the duct work replaced, etc; having been hit on the interstate by another car--didn't get seriously hurt--just scary as hell; a major bike accident--my shin was the size of my thigh but I didn't break anything; selling my family home, we'd been there for 42ish years. And in the midst of all that, I think I changed jobs at least 4 times. Then the pandemic hit and I had to change jobs again because my employer wouldn't require patrons to wear masks.
Anyway the reason for sharing all that is that when I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, I just kind of did what the doctor said and took alendronate. I know two women, 79 and 80, who both took/take alendronate and had no issues with it. The 79 y.o. is now on prolia and the 80 y.o. has only been taking alendronate for 3ish years and her DEXA scores now show she has osteopenia so she no longer has osteoporosis, which is awesome.
My goal at the moment is to work on changing my diet and exercise regimen and work towards potentially not having to rely on the meds. Note, my diet has always been pretty healthy, I rarely drink alcohol, I've never done recreational drugs, I don't smoke, and I exercise on a regular basis; however, I've been doing a bit a research, really just these last 3ish months, and have found info on how prunes and almonds can help build/maintain bones. You can search for info on both of these foods and find the studies or follow links below for more info. Right now I am eating 5-6 prunes a day and plan to increase that amount to 10. The study I found on almonds said that they suppress osteoclasts and I just eat 3 or 4 a couple of times a day.
Additionally, I am looking into adding 1 rep max weight training/lifting. It seems body builders have always known that this is the real way to build bone, but I don't want to over do it so I am working with a physical therapist to come up with a plan that works best to avoid possible fractures.
If you find anything that seems promising regarding ways to build bone to naturally reverse osteoporosis, please share.
Thank you for sharing and for your links. I have also heard about prunes and almonds from an interview I had watched on the Chef AJ YouTube show. I am now eating 6 almonds a day and 6 prunes, but I heard 12 prunes are ideal. I am on a whole food plant based diet and tweaking that to be more bone friendly. I think weights and having help from a therapist to determine the right method as to avoid fractures is a great idea. currently I do classes that incorporate weights but I probably could be doing more with weights. I do wear a weighted vest on my 30 min walks. Might increase wearing the vest to twice a day. I will definitely share anything I find will be of value for our bones!
dinamariea, look into adding boron and delta tocotrienol for your osteoporosis. Vitamin D needs adequate magnesium to become bioactive as does thiamine. Boron is often overlooked for bone health and can also activate vitamin D. Boron goes on to do so much more for your bone health it's worth your time to research it. Delta tocotrienol is a form of vitamin E and should be taken a few hour apart from supplements containing tocopherols as they will impede tocotrienol. Always consult your health care provider before using any supplement.
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the information you have provided and I will definitely take a look at that, especially the boron.
Hello, I'm 36 years old. I've been diagnosed with Osteopenia 2 years after my pregnancy. The main fragile part is now the hip bone. I've been taking Calcium supplements also vit. D and every 3-4 months I'm checking my blood to be on track. I'm undergoing densitometry annually. Its results are either the same or they become better for 1-% or worse again for 1-2 %. I've quit smoking, eating dairy products (although from time to time I'm not being able to keep myself from eating them). This year's densitometry again has shown some decrease in bone density, although I have been exercising regularly, my calcium level is good and the same with vit.D levels and other blood tests. I read here that I need to quit eating poultry and meat. I'm determined to change my diet, at least gradually, since I'm not full whenever I don't eat meat )) My question: you were talking about a special diet without meat and beans, is there a resource to read more about less meat diet? And second question how do you get those microelements that are in meat? Also, do you have any workout videos with resistance bands and weights to gain bone strength? And the last question, do you know someone who got pregnant without fractures while osteopenia/osteoporosis? In fact, I quit on this idea, but still interesting.
Usually, I'm searching similar videos on Youtube and by sticking to my back health routine( since I have back issues) I'm working out 3 times a week, also I've been taking tennis lessons the past 5 months, but again smth is wrong my osteopenia doesn't become better. Or maybe it's normal?
Frankly speaking, each year after my densitometry I'm falling into the deepest depression since I assume that nothing is able to help me gain my bones again.
Hi Bella33355. Please do not be depressed! Osteopenia is closer to normal then osteoporosis and you are young and can make a huge difference to get your bones healthy and strong again. I used to play tennis and also do kettlebell classes. I love that combination and I felt very good and strong doing that. These days I do my exercise classes virtually and also go for walks and hikes. In the spring summer and fall I also bike. I can provide you the link to the classes, one is free and is given by the city I live in, the other is a paid subscription. In my mid 30’s I was close to having osteopenia. I was eating the standard American diet, lots of meat and dairy. I didn’t know about the whole food plant based diet until I turned 50. And though I learned off the bat from the books I read how to do it right, I was also eating a lot of vegan junk food. I do not do that anymore, I do not have time to waste at this point eating any vegan junk food now and do not have the desire for it anymore anyways. I am 60 now. I highly recommend Dr. McDougall’s book “The Starch Solution” and if you need to lose weight he also has one called “The McDougall Program for maximum weight loss”. I would recommend the first book if you do not have any weight to lose or a little weight to lose. It is also fine for people needing to gain weight or just to learn how to eat what I believe is the healthiest diet on the planet. (He has a book by that name too!). Please keep in touch and let me know how you are doing and if you got the book and read it.
mississauga.ca/recreation-a...
app.heymarvelous.com/yoga-f...
Hi Dinamariea, thanks a million for your advice. I'll make sure to read that book definitely since I need an "education" regarding it. Thanks for a pep talk. I'll keep you posted. And thanks for the videos!
Your very welcome! Please keep in touch and let me know if you have any more questions. Let me know if you are going to try any of the virtual free exercise classes by Mississauga.
Sure I'll keep you posted, and yes I'll take the classes at least the free one! 
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