Maintaining strong bones is crucial for overall health and diet plays a key role. While dairy is known to keep your bones healthy, Brussels sprouts also offer essential vitamins and minerals promoting bone health. Read on as an expert highlights their benefits, emphasizing vitamin K’s role in protecting against osteoporosis, particularly vital for postmenopausal women.

Keeping your bones healthy is extremely important as they form the basic structure of your body. If your bones aren’t healthy, they will affect your overall health. Hence, it is important that you take the necessary measures that will help to keep your bones healthy. Food plays an important role in keeping your bones healthy and strong as they are sources of essential vitamins and minerals.

Dairy and dairy products are known to be good for your bones. However, there are certain vegetables which have several important vitamins and minerals and can keep your bones healthy.

Brussels sprouts have several health benefits, including benefits for the bones. It has nutrients, Vitamin C, Vitamin A and folate, all of which are known to be good for the bones, immune system and skin. Also, the presence of fibre helps improve gut health and helps in weight management. The antioxidants of Brussels sprouts help in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.

Rosie Martin, a registered dietitian at Plant Based Health Professionals says that Brussels sprouts also provide protection against osteoporosis, states a report on express.co.uk.

Rosie said, “Due to their vitamin K content, Brussels sprouts can support healthy bones, which in turn can support in protecting against the debilitating condition osteoporosis later in life. This is particularly important for women who face an increased risk particularly following menopause.”

“There is no specific recommendation for the frequency or quantity but including about 80g (seven sprouts) a couple of times each week alongside a diverse range of other colourful vegetables daily is beneficial for your health and wellness.”

According to Mayo Clinic, “Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a break. Osteoporosis-related breaks most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine. Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the loss of old bone.

“Osteoporosis affects men and women of all races. But white and Asian women, especially older women who are past menopause, are at highest risk. Medicines, healthy diet and weight-bearing exercise can help prevent bone loss or strengthen already weak bones.”

A lot of people suffer from digestive issues like gas and bloating when they eat Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables. To get rid of such issues, Rosie said, “To alleviate this, aim to bring cooked sprouts into your diet in small quantities to start with, and build up over time.

“Keep seasonal cruciferous vegetables in your diet throughout the year to support bowel health and function, as well as benefiting from their nutrients long-term.”

She also added, “Vitamin C can be very sensitive to heat and degrade rapidly at elevated temperatures.
“I would avoid chargrilling them as the charred parts will contain toxic compounds linked to increased inflammation and cardiovascular damage.”