Does Weight Loss Cause Bone Loss?

Do you know that one of the side effects of weight loss is that it can make your bones weak? While losing weight is a goal for most people, there can be serious consequences as well.

A recent study shows that weight loss can result in worsening bone density, bone architecture, and bone strength. So, here we will be discussing whether weight loss can cause bone loss or not.

The study used data on weight changes over 40 years. Douglas P Kiel, principal investigator of the study said, "We showed that men and women with both shorter term weight loss over 4-6 years and longer term weight loss over 40 years had more micro-architectural deterioration of their bones than persons who didn't lose weight".

Apart from bone loss, there are other side effects of weight loss too which have been mentioned below:

• Losing weight by going on a crash diet or consuming weight loss pills can lead to gallstones and heart problems.
• Going on a weight loss crash diet can affect nutritional deficiencies. It has an adverse effect on the secretion of brain chemicals, such as endorphins, which can cause depression and make you feel irritated.
• Nutritionally deficient diets can lead to calcium and vitamin D deficiency, which can cause fragile bones and fractured bones.
• A diet low in carbohydrates can cause weakness in the body, constipation, dehydration, bad breath, muscle cramps, and a craving for sugar.
• A high-protein diet for weight loss can increase the risk of heart failure in middle-aged men.
• Going only on a fruit-based diet will lead you to exclude a lot of nutrient groups from your diet.

When Does A Diet Put You At A Risk For Osteoporosis?

The best way to protect your bones while losing weight is to exercise regularly and consume a lot of healthy foods. It is necessary that you get enough of calcium and vitamin D while going on a healthy diet.

What Is The Impact Of Crash Dieting On Bone Health?

Crash dieting is a method for losing weight rapidly in a short period of time, by reducing the daily calorie intake to as low as 700 calories a day.

So, what are the effects of crash dieting? Eating 800 or 900 calories a day is worse for your bones. A maximum intake of 1,200 calories per day is what's needed to maintain your bones and tissues.

If your calorie intake is significantly below this amount for a longer period of time, this can cause damage to your body. A lot of women tend to go on a crash diet; they not only lose bone mass but also muscle structure as well.

How To Lose Weight Without Losing Bone Mass?

Health experts suggest having calcium-rich foods, three servings a day. If you are restricting your calories for an extended period of time, it's necessary that you focus on the nutrients much more which are required by the body. A poor diet can harm your health in many ways.

Cutting out calcium from your diet could increase the risk factor for osteoporosis. It is recommended that people under the age of 50 should get 1,000 mg of calcium and 400-800 IU of vitamin D, and people over 50 years of age need around 1,200 mg of calcium and 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D daily.

Some of the good sources of calcium are low-fat dairy products, dark-green leafy vegetables, whole grain cereals, and natural home-made juices.

Some of the sources of vitamin D are fatty fishes, soy milk, orange juice, beef liver, cheese, egg yolks, raw milk, mushrooms, cod liver oil, etc.

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