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You may be surprised to find out that some common foods can weaken your bones. According to the National Osteoporosis Society, one in five men and one in two women over the age of 50 in the UK will fracture a bone, and this is mostly due to osteoporosis, a disease resulting in weakened bones. Your first step towards having healthy bones is eating a nutritious diet. The good news is, it’s never too late to start protecting your bones. Here are the top foods to avoid, for healthy bones.

Salt

Salt, possibly the most common food of all, robs the bones of calcium. According to dieticians, for every 2,300 milligrams of salt you eat, you lose 40 milligrams of calcium. The recommended daily intake of calcium set by the UK government is 700 milligrams a day, so this is a major loss, especially considering that the average Brit takes in 3,500 milligrams of salt a day. The UK Department of Health recommends a salt intake of 2,300 milligrams a day, but some nutritionists claim even this is too high.

The main source of salt in our diet is processed food. Check the levels of salt in the food you are eating, and think about eating more home-cooked food, where you can control the amount of salt you use. The easiest way to cut down on salt is to avoid anything that comes in a packet.

Soft drinks

Soft drinks may not count as a common food, but they’re definitely very popular. In soft drinks, it’s the fizz that causes the problem. The fizziness in soft drinks often comes from phosphoric acid, which makes your body excrete more calcium. The best solution is to simply avoid soft drinks as far as possible. Rather put some fruit and yoghurt in your blender and enjoy a healthy smoothie, or just drink water.

Vitamin A

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Vitamin A is an essential part of your diet, but many Brits get too much of it in their diet. It’s found in eggs, full-fat milk and dairy, and fortified foods like bread and cereal. While vitamin A is essential for your immune system and healthy eyesight, women with a daily intake higher than 5,000 IUs have been found twice as likely to suffer from fractures as women with a lower intake of 1,600 IUs a day.

What you can do to take in less Vitamin A is to switch to low-fat dairy products, and limit the number of eggs you eat.

A healthy diet is the first step towards stronger bones, so avoiding common foods that sap calcium is vital. Resistance training will also build up bone strength, and taking a multivitamin every day is a good idea, too.

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