One of the biggest food-related cliches is “you are what you eat.” However, that phrase is spot on when it comes to one’s bone health. Eating the right foods can strengthen one’s bones significantly, while the wrong foods can weaken bones by leaving them vulnerable to conditions, such as osteoporosis, and also affect the quality of life at large. If you are at risk of bone-related issues, you must avoid these six foods.

Hot dogs
Its health hazards are well-known across the healthcare community. And yet, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is still a major flavor enhancer in many processed foods one can buy in the market. Foods such as hot dogs, beef jerky, mayonnaise, frozen pizzas, and fried chicken are seasoned with MSG to give them an irresistible taste, fragrance, and flavor. MSG can stimulate one’s nerve cells, leading to seizures and migraines. It can also decrease bone density in regular consumers of the above-mentioned foods.

Coffee
Caffeine is just as bad as MSG when bone health is the topic of discussion. Caffeine-rich beverages, such as coffee, decrease the bone’s ability to absorb adequate amounts of calcium from food for reinforcement purposes. This causes issues such as brittle and porous bones in the long run. To avoid the issue, one should not consume too much coffee (for instance, more than three cups every day). Instead, turn to fruits such as apples or oranges for a burst of energy and to keep one’s bones in good shape for many years.

Beef liver
Another chemical that might be problematic from the perspective of bone health is animal-derived vitamin-A, known popularly as retinol. Beef liver, although delicious and protein-rich food, is unfortunately loaded with retinol. High intake of this food can speed up issues such as osteoclast activity and make one’s bones incredibly brittle. Instead, one can chomp into healthy and just-as delicious chicken dishes to keep the bones healthy and durable.

Sweet potatoes
Carrots and sweet potatoes fall in the same bracket in this regard. Both these foods are rich in vitamin A, a nutrient with several health benefits such as enhancing eye health, clearing skin acne, and strengthening immunity. However, as specified earlier, this vitamin takes away calcium from the bones, leaving them vulnerable to problems. As a result, if one consumes carrots and sweet potatoes on a massive scale (for instance, about four sweet potatoes or 10 to 11 cups of raw carrots), they run the risk of suffering bone issues and injuries in the long term.

Salted nuts
Sodium is another chemical that gradually but surely debilitates a person’s bone health if they consume it regularly. This tangible weakening of the bones becomes more pronounced as people get older. Salted nuts, noodles, salt, and some kinds of hyper-processed pasta are rich in sodium. As per the USDA, one loses 40 milligrams of calcium from their bones every time they consume about 2,300 milligrams of salt and other sodium-rich foods. To minimize sodium consumption, one needs to steer clear of processed foods and use limited amounts of salt in their food.

Rhubarb
Oxalate-rich foods, such as cashew, almonds, spinach, and colocasia, drain the calcium content in a person’s bones. Rhubarb, too contains high reserves of oxalate. So, aficionados of this food will have to cut it out of their daily meals or, at the very least, consume it in moderation if they want to be mindful of their bone health.