Healthy Bones: Increase your soy intake

June 15, 2004

Bone Health

Increase Your Soy Intake

Protein, a major building

block for bone, is also necessary for the intestinal absorption

of calcium. However, excessive protein intake can lead to bone loss

by increasing your body’s acid load, forcing it to pull valuable

calcium and other alkalinizing minerals from your bones in order

to bring the pH of your blood and tissues back into balance.

Your body can only handle 40 to 60 grams of protein

a day, but the vast majority of people in the United States consume

nearly twice that amount. I always suggest that my patients decrease

their intake of animal protein and increase their consumption of

soy-based foods. Soy inhibits the breakdown of bone. And since estrogen

supports the deposition and thickness of collagen within your body,

it is likely that the phytoestrogens contained within soy also support

collagen within your body.

A good rule of thumb is to consume enough soy products

to provide 50 to 150 mg of isoflavones each day, about the content

of a traditional Asian diet. Below I’ve listed some soy-based foods

and their isoflavone content to help you monitor your soy intake.

• 1/2 cup of whole soybeans

  (cooked) — 150 mg of isoflavones

• 1/2 cup of roasted soy nuts

  — 120 mg of isoflavones

• 1 cup of soy milk —

  20 to 40 mg of isoflavones

• 1/2 cup of tofu — 35

  mg of isoflavones

If you are allergic to soy, or simply prefer not

to eat it, soy isoflavone capsules are a good alternative. I

a supplement.

Read More on Bone Health:

Getting Started

The Role of Our Bones

The Bone Matrix

Four Steps to Stronger Bones

Keep it SIMPLE Bone Health tip — Flaxseed

Nutritional Therapies

Supplements for Stronger Bones

Increase Your Soy Intake

Foods that Break Down Bone

Complementary Therapies

An Ancient Solution to a Modern Problem

Tie Dye Smoothie