Weight Loss: Mixing Dieting, Exercise May Harm Bone Health, Says Study; Know Ways To Promote Bone Health When Trying To Lose Weight

Weight loss diet: Some vegetables rich in calcium can help you promote bone health

Weight loss requires the right combination of diet and exercise. You need to burn more calories than you are consuming to lose weight effectively. A restricted diet with minimum calories combined with exercise to burn calories is considered the most effective way to lose weight. But is the combination healthy for the rest of your body? From your skin to gut health, your diet and exercise can leave an impact on a lot more than just your body weight. According to a recent study, combining exercise and dieting may not be a good idea as it may impact your bone health, according to a new study.

The study, published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, looked at what happens to bone marrow fat and overall bone health when restricting calories.

"This is important for women because as we age our bone health starts to decline. Your calorie intake and exercise routine can have an impact on the strength of your bones and your risk for fracture," said senior author of the study Maya Styner, Associate Professor at University of North Carolina School of Medicine in the US.

Add more sources of vitamin D to your diet for better absorption of calcium
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The research involved four groups of mice in all -- a group on a regular diet (RD), a group on a calorie-restricted (CR) diet, a regular diet group that exercised, and a calorie-restricted group that exercised. Mice in the calorie-restricted group ate 30 percent less than what regular diet mice ate.

Styner found mice in the calorie-restricted group lost weight, but also had an increase in bone marrow fat. "This was mild caloric restriction, and we found a significant increase of fat in the bone marrow. This group also had a decrease in bone quantity -- they had less bone overall due to cut in calories." Styner said.

Although fat in the bone is poorly understood, to date it is thought to be harmful to bones of mammals, including humans, because it makes bone weaker. Less fat is usually an indication of better bone health.

"Looking at this from a human perspective, even a lower calorie diet that's nutritionally sound can have negative effects on bone health, especially paired with exercise," said Styner.

Also read: Can You Treat Osteoporosis? Have A Look At Some Natural Ways To Build Healthy Bones

Some tips to keep bones healthy

Healthy bones are required for lifetime. Some lifestyle modification and dietary changes can help you promote bone health. If you are on a weight loss diet you can check with your dietician to add some foods which are beneficial for your bones. Some of the healthy practices for healthy bones include-

1. Add more vegetable to your diet

Vegetables are extremely healthy and can be easily added to your weight loss diet. Vegetables will provide you essential nutrients as well. Vegetable consumption is known better bone density. Add fresh vegetables to your diet especially the one's rich on vitamin C.

2. Add more protein to your diet

Protein is essential for your bone health as well. Protein also supports weight loss. You can add more protein to your weight loss diet for better bone health as well as for effective weight loss.

Also read: Weight Loss: Try These High Protein Breakfast Options Which Can Help You Lose Weight
 

3. Do not exclude calcium from your diet

Before adopting you weight loss diet, make sure that there are some sources of calcium in your diet. You can find good amount of calcium in some vegetables as well apart from dairy products.

4. Try weight lifting and strength training

Weight lifting and strength training can also help you promote bone health. It can promote bone growth and enhance the existing bone structure. It will also increase bone density and give protection against bone loss.

Also read: Watch: Virat Kohli Tells Why Learning The Right Technique Is Important Before Increasing Weights In Strength Training
 

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.