For many people, the happiest, most emotionally stable, and most authentically lived years of their lives come after 65.

That probably sounds wrong. We’re surrounded by cultural messaging that treats aging as a slow subtraction of capacity, vitality, and relevance. And yes, bodies change and biology shifts. There are real challenges that come with the later decades of life, and some of them tend to be unwelcome.

But the research tells a more complicated and considerably more hopeful story. Studies show that life satisfaction may follow a U-shaped curve, dipping through the stressful middle decades and then rising again, often reaching its peak in the 70s and 80s. Many older adults report greater emotional stability, less reactivity to stress, and a clearer sense of what actually matters to them. Psychologists have identified what they call the “positivity effect,” which is a measurable shift in how older brains process experience, paying less attention to threats and more attention to what’s meaningful and good.

It turns out that the choices you make about how you eat, move, sleep, connect, and engage with the world have a profound influence on whether those later decades feel like diminishment or like the richest chapter yet.

There’s an old saying that a person with their health has a thousand dreams. A person without it has just one dream, which is to get it back. Maximizing your health can be key not only to living longer, but also to living better. So you can savor and make the most of your wisdom years.

That’s what this article is about. Let’s start with what’s actually happening in your body, and then get to what you can do about it.

How Can We Stay Healthy as We Age?

Over my career, I have taught courses that describe statistics about patterns of health, how long we live, and how these patterns have changed in remarkable ways since the mid-20^th century, when I was born. 

Two noteworthy patterns emerge from the data. Our lifespans – how long we live – have increased dramatically. At the same time, our healthspans – how long we live in good health – have not kept pace. World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2019 found that the average number of years that people live burdened by disease or disability was about 9.6 years globally, and 12.4 years in the United States. Four years later, this morbidity gap, as it’s known, had increased to 10.7 years globally and 14 years in the U.S. — the latter representing close to one-fifth of the average person’s life.

So while the average U.S. senior has gained extra years of life, they spend around a decade and a half managing chronic disease rather than living in good health. 

That’s the bad news. 

The good news is that many of the health conditions that are common as we age are preventable, and if they do develop, can be managed to reduce the impact they have on our lives. Sometimes, in fact, our lifestyle and diet choices can even put them into remission.

As I enter my 70s and move into retirement, I am transitioning to a new phase in my own life. I’ve stopped asking, “How do I live longer?” Now I’m exploring, “How do I make sure the years I have left are worth living?” 

Meaning, I have enough strength to get down on the floor and up again, enough clarity to learn new things, and enough energy to say yes to an invitation instead of staying home. In this article, I describe my understanding of how to do this, with a focus on the importance of the food choices we make.

Understanding the Changes that Come with Aging

Aging brings real physiologic changes in our bodies, but understanding them gives us an opportunity to adapt. Stomach acid production may decline, making it harder to absorb certain nutrients from food. 

Our muscles become less responsive to the protein we eat, so getting enough high-quality protein and spreading it throughout the day becomes increasingly important. 

And our sense of thirst can become less reliable, making dehydration easier to miss.

Starting as early as our 30s, we begin to lose muscle mass and strength, including some of the fast-twitch muscle fibers that help us respond quickly. For example, we may not be as quick to catch ourselves from a stumble. 

Bone remodeling also shifts with age, gradually tipping toward greater bone loss, particularly for women during and after menopause. 

Some changes mean we’ll need to pay more attention to various essential nutrients. Reduced stomach acid, which becomes more common with age, can interfere with our ability to absorb vitamin B12 from food; calcium absorption may also become less efficient; and aging skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D in response to sunlight. At the same time, changes in appetite, food intake, medications, and digestive health can make it more challenging to get all the nutrients we need.

These changes aren’t reasons to surrender to decline. They’re signals that some of the strategies that served us well at 40 may need adjusting at 70. In fact, many of these age-related changes are remarkably responsive to what we do next.

Once we understand what’s changing, we can respond in practical ways, with more attention to nutrient density, protein, hydration, movement, and other habits that help preserve health and function. 

Rather than fighting aging, you can learn how to work with your changing body and give it the support it needs.

The encouraging part is that many of these age-related changes are remarkably responsive to what we do next. That’s the whole premise of the rest of this article.

Feeding Your Changing Body: The Specifics That Actually Matter

A lot of the “eat healthy” advice basically consists of “eat more vegetables,” and while that’s true, it’s not nearly specific enough to be useful as we age. If you already know the basics of good nutrition, here’s what’s actually different about eating well after 60. (Since I don’t know anything about your exact situation, I need to emphasize that the following is a series of general guidelines, and not medical advice. Consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding your specific nutritional realities and needs.)

Protein: More than you think

For decades, the standard protein recommendation for adults was 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, a figure calculated from nitrogen-balance studies designed to prevent deficiency in generally healthy, younger adults. Interestingly, the January 2026 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans moved sharply away from that baseline, recommending 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram for the general adult population. This represented a striking 50–100% increase that has drawn considerable debate among nutrition scientists, some of whom argue the shift outpaces the underlying evidence.

Setting that broader debate aside, the case for older adults specifically has a clearer, more established foundation. As we age, our muscles become less responsive to the protein we eat (a phenomenon known as anabolic resistance), meaning the same meal that would efficiently build muscle in a 30-year-old produces a blunted response in a 70-year-old. This is why the international PROT-AGE Study Group, reviewing evidence specific to aging muscle, concluded that healthy adults over 65 should aim for 1.0–1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, with higher amounts recommended for those managing illness, recovering from injury, or already experiencing muscle loss. For a person whose healthy body weight is 150 pounds, that’s roughly 70–80 grams of protein daily.

How you distribute that protein across the day may matter, too

Rather than eating relatively little protein at breakfast and lunch and most of it at dinner, aim for roughly 20–30 grams at each meal. A protein-rich breakfast might be muesli made with fortified soy milk, hemp seeds, nuts, and berries. Lunch could be a hearty lentil soup alongside a salad topped with quinoa, chickpeas, and pumpkin seeds. For dinner, try tofu with whole grain pasta, peas, and plenty of colorful vegetables. Even dessert can contribute: A chia pudding made with soy milk and topped with nuts and berries can provide an additional protein boost. With a little planning, reaching protein targets on a plant-based diet can be surprisingly straightforward.

Note: For Food Revolution Network’s article on protein, including a calculator to determine your recommended daily intake, click here. 

Vitamin B12 needs special attention as we age

Adults over 50 should pay particular attention to vitamin B12. An estimated 10–30% of older adults may have difficulty absorbing food-bound B12, largely because reduced stomach acid can make it harder to release B12 from the protein in animal foods. For this reason, the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) recommends that adults older than 50 obtain most of their B12 from fortified foods or supplements. 

People eating fully plant-based diets need a reliable source of B12 at any age, and VeganHealth.org makes the following recommendations. For adults ages 50–64, 1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12 2 to 3 times per week may be sufficient, with periodic monitoring of B12 status. For adults 65 and older, a daily supplement providing 500–1,000 micrograms can help ensure adequate intake despite age-related declines in absorption.

Note: For FRN’s article on vitamin B12, click here.

Vitamin D deserves extra attention with age

As you age, our skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D from sunlight, and many older adults don’t get enough sun exposure to maintain adequate levels year-round. The RDA is 600 International Units (equivalent to 15 micrograms) per day through age 70, increasing to 800 International Units (20 micrograms) after 70. 

Because these amounts assume some sun exposure, a daily supplement of up to 2,000 International Units (50 micrograms) is a practical choice for many older adults, particularly those with limited sun exposure, darker skin, or who live in latitudes farther from the equator. Individual needs vary, however, so you may want to check your vitamin D levels periodically to help guide your supplementation regimen.

Note: For FRN’s article on vitamin D, including how to get your levels tested, click here.

Calcium: food first

Food sources are generally preferred, with supplements used when needed to fill a gap between dietary intake and requirements. Aim for 1,000–1,200 milligrams daily from food such as fortified plant milks (about 300 milligrams per cup), tofu set with calcium sulfate (up to 400 milligrams per half-cup), tahini, almonds, and leafy greens like bok choy and collards. 

Food is a better source of calcium for most people, since large-dose calcium supplements have been linked to cardiovascular concerns in some research. If you choose to “top off” with a modest-dose calcium supplement, you may want to take it in doses of 500 milligrams or less to maximize absorption. This might mean twice a day instead of all at once. Some of the most effective calcium supplements also include vitamin D3 and vitamin K2, since these can help the calcium get absorbed and make its way to your bones, not your arteries. 

Note: For FRN’s article on calcium, click here.

Omega-3s: Don’t overlook them

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an essential omega-3 fat that we need to get from food. Ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts are excellent sources. We don’t need much: a tablespoon or two of ground flax or chia each day, with walnuts or hemp seeds regularly in the mix. 

Our bodies can convert ALA into two other essential omega-3s: the long-chain EPA and DHA. DHA is an important structural component of the brain and retina, while EPA and DHA have roles in cardiovascular and overall health.

We may need more of these long-chain fatty acids than we’re able to convert; that’s especially true of DHA. And that’s why it may be helpful to consume a direct source of these fats.

If you don’t eat fish, a daily microalgae-based supplement providing 200–300 milligrams of combined DHA and EPA is a practical option, with some people (e.g., those managing cardiovascular risk factors) needing more under clinical guidance. 

Given that most vegans have very low levels of preformed EPA and DHA in their diets and their Omega-3 Index measures tend to be low, a daily microalgae-based supplement providing a combination of 500–1,500 milligrams of DHA and EPA may be advisable, depending on initial omega-3 status, body size, and individual response. Microalgae are the original source of the DHA and EPA that ultimately accumulate in fish, so algae-based supplements provide these omega-3s directly, without the microplastics and heavy metals that can accumulate in fish.

Note: For FRN’s article on omega-3 fatty acids, click here.

These are the foundations on which seniors can build a healthy diet. In the largest study of diet and healthy aging to date, following more than 105,000 adults for up to 30 years, following all 8 of the above recommendations was associated with better odds of reaching 70 with cognitive, physical, and mental health intact. 

There was no single “winning” diet. What the successful diets shared was an abundance of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and unsaturated fats, alongside low intakes of ultra-processed foods, sodium, trans fats, and red and processed meat. The plant-forward Planetary Health Diet showed the strongest association of all with cognitive preservation and with living to 70.

This doesn’t mean perfection or an all-or-nothing approach. But it does suggest that the more your plate is built around vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, the more you’re working with your biology rather than against it. Whatever your starting point, moving in that direction tends to have positive effects. Ideally, our food choices stack several of these nutrients into enjoyable dishes on a daily basis. If you’re a bit stumped, or looking for inspiration, check out the recipes and examples below.

The Other Foundations: Five More Places to Put Your Attention

Nutrition is one of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine, and it’s the one I’ve focused on most so far. But what we eat is only part of the picture. The other five pillars — physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, positive social connections, and avoidance of risky substances — also profoundly influence our health and how well we age. Together, these six pillars provide a powerful foundation for maintaining health, function, and quality of life in the years ahead.

Movement

Keep moving, and make some of it challenging. Walking and other aerobic activities support cardiovascular health, endurance, and mobility, while resistance training is especially important for preserving muscle, strength, and bone as we age. Balance and flexibility exercises can help us stay steady and capable. And it’s never too late to start: even previously sedentary adults in their 70s and 80s can make meaningful gains in strength and mobility.

Restorative sleep

Good sleep supports memory, immune function, emotional well-being, and physical recovery, and can become more challenging as we age. While the amount of sleep we need does not change, how we can get it does. Seniors tend to experience less deep sleep, more fragmented sleep, and earlier sleep and wake times. Recommendations for seniors focus on supporting our circadian rhythms by building on early light exposure, regular meal timing, and sleep/wake schedules. Staying physically active and maintaining a supportive sleeping environment can also help. 

Stress resilience

Some stress is part of a full and meaningful life, and challenges such as learning a new skill or taking on a worthwhile project can help keep us engaged and resilient. The greater concern is chronic, unrelieved stress. Regular movement, time in nature, mindfulness, relaxation, and connection with others can all help us manage it more effectively.

Social connection

Strong relationships are an important part of healthy aging. Research links strong social ties to slower functional decline and better-preserved cognitive health, and the effort of maintaining them pays back many times over. Staying connected with family, friends, neighbors, and community can support emotional well-being and help keep us mentally and socially engaged. 

So can having a sense of purpose: learning, creating, volunteering, caring for others, contributing to our communities, and pursuing activities that bring meaning and joy. Healthy aging isn’t simply about avoiding disease; it’s about continuing to have a life we want to participate in.

Reducing risky substances: Alcohol, tobacco, and substance misuse raise the risk of many chronic diseases. If this is part of your story, compassionate, evidence-based support genuinely works, at any age. 

Recipes to Help You Thrive

Knowing the names and functions of these critical nutrients is useful, but my favorite way to show people how easy it is to cook real food that delivers them in meaningful doses is to share recipes. Here are three examples of delicious recipes that can help you get them into your life on a daily basis.

Easy Overnight Oats (makes 2 cups)

This creamy, comforting breakfast is assembled the night before and ready to enjoy by morning, with no cooking required. Prepared overnight oats will keep for up to three days, refrigerated, though the texture will soften over time. Soaking the grains may enhance their digestibility and improve mineral absorption. This recipe delivers plant-based protein, calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Customize with your favorite fruits, nuts, or spices, such as nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, or cloves. You can also replace some of the milk with unsweetened, plant-based yogurt for extra creaminess.

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or other rolled grains

2 tablespoons chopped prunes, raisins, or other dried fruit

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 tablespoon chia seeds

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, almonds, or other nuts

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1½ cups unsweetened, fortified soy milk or other plant-based milk

1½–2 cups fresh fruit (e.g., sliced bananas, berries, chopped or grated apple, apricot, mango, peach, or pear)

Directions

1. Place the oats, dried fruit, hemp seeds, chia seeds, nuts, cinnamon, and plant-based milk in a bowl or container and stir well.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 6 hours).
3. Just before serving, stir in fresh fruit.

Optional toppings:

• Your favorite plant-based milk
• Ground flaxseeds

Nutritional Information:

Per half recipe: Calories: 444, Protein: 17 g, Fat: 18 g, Carbohydrate: 61 g, Fiber: 10 g

Minerals: Calcium: 307 mg, Iron: 4 mg, Magnesium: 189 mg, Potassium: 829 mg, Sodium: 67 mg, Zinc: 3 mg

Vitamins: A: 11 mcg, C: 11 mg, E: 1 mg, Folate: 30 mcg DFE

Percent of calories from: Protein 13%, Fat 32%, Carbohydrate 55% 

Easy Minestrone Soup (makes about 6 cups)

This soup comes together in under 30 minutes and delivers a nourishing and tasty meal. Use whole-grain pasta for a fiber boost or make it gluten-free with gluten-free pasta or potatoes. Marinara sauce and cannellini beans are sources of vitamin E. Leftover soup can be stored in mason jars and refrigerated or frozen.

Ingredients

2 cups low-sodium or regular vegetable stock or broth

1 (14–15-oz) can marinara or pasta sauce

1 (14–15-oz) can beans (any type), drained and rinsed (or 1½ cups cooked beans)

½ cup uncooked pasta

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons onion flakes or 1 teaspoon onion powder

1½ cups mixed frozen vegetables or other chopped vegetables

1–2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the vegetable stock, marinara sauce, beans, uncooked pasta, garlic, onion flakes, frozen vegetables, and Italian seasoning.
2. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the pasta and vegetables are tender.
3. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Optional add-ins and variations:

• Replace uncooked pasta with 1 cup cooked pasta or cooked, cubed potato
• Replace Italian seasoning with 2–3 tablespoons each of fresh basil and oregano
• Replace the vegetable stock and marinara sauce with 4 cups of tomato juice
• Add hot sauce or pepper to taste 

Nutritional Information:

Per cup: Calories: 211, Protein: 10 g, Fat: 3 g, Carbohydrate: 37 g, Fiber: 8 g

Minerals: Calcium: 97 mg, Iron: 3 mg, Magnesium: 69 mg, Potassium: 682 mg, Sodium: 624 mg, Zinc: 1 mg

Vitamins: A: 126 mcg, C: 6 mg, E: 3 mg, Folate: 115 mcg DFE

Percent of calories from: Protein 18%, Fat 12%, Carbohydrate 70%

Easy Chocolate Pudding (makes 2 cups or 4 servings)

Silky, rich, and deeply chocolatey, this effortless pudding comes together in minutes with just two or three core ingredients. It’s perfect as a quick dessert, snack, or even a wholesome sweet for guests. Thanks to soft or silken tofu, this treat offers a smooth, mousse-like texture along with flavonoid-rich dark chocolate. Leftovers (if there are any!) will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days.

Ingredients

3½ ounces dark chocolate, chopped, or 2/3 cup of dark chocolate chips

1 (10–12-oz) package soft tofu or silken tofu at room temperature, drained

2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

Directions

1. Melt the chocolate:
   • STOVETOP METHOD: Place chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until fully melted.
   • MICROWAVE METHOD: Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl with high sides. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
2. Blend the pudding: Add the tofu and maple syrup and blend.
3. Chill and serve: Spoon the pudding into 4 small bowls or ramekins. Chill for at least 30 minutes to set before serving.

Optional add-ins and variations:

• For added protein, blend or stir in some peanut butter (warmed slightly or at room temperature) and/or yogurt
• Add ¼ teaspoon salt
• Add ½ teaspoon vanilla
• For an even more chocolatey flavor, blend in 2–3 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Optional toppings:

• Chocolate shavings
• Berries
• Fresh mint
• Chopped toasted nuts (hazelnuts are divine)

Nutritional Information:

Per ½ cup: Calories: 188, Protein: 7 g, Fat: 11 g, Carbohydrate: 16 g, Fiber: 2 g

Minerals: Calcium: 109 mg, Iron: 3 mg, Magnesium: 61 mg, Potassium: 243 mg, Sodium: 13 mg, Zinc: 1 mg

Vitamins: A: 1 mcg, C: 0 mg, E: 0.1 mg, Folate: 37 mcg DFE

Percent of calories from: Protein 15%, Fat 52%, Carbohydrate 33%

Is It Too Late to Start?

Adopting health-promoting habits early in life is ideal, but what if you didn’t? If you’re 68 and only now thinking seriously about improving your diet, or 79 and wondering whether it’s worth the effort of dropping unhealthy habits you’ve had for decades, it’s fair to ask whether any of this will still make a difference.

The short answer: It will. 

Some of the clearest evidence comes from studies of people who are already older and already unwell. A 2018 meta-analysis of 9 separate studies found that older adults who adhered to a Mediterranean-style, plant-forward dietary pattern had lower risk of frailty and disability.

A 2024 study found that in two large cohorts of adults aged 60 and over, those living with 2 or more chronic conditions who followed a healthy lifestyle had a 22–42% lower risk of death over the next 5–12 years of follow-up than those who didn’t. 

The evidence in adults over 70 is thinner and less tidy. But a 2022 study may convince you that even if your diet has been far from ideal so far, changing now may make a big positive difference. Researchers followed more than 1,800 adults aged 70 and older for 3 years to see whether they would become frail. And it turned out that how well someone was eating at the start of the three-year period didn’t affect whether they grew more frail as they aged. Instead, what predicted lower odds of frailty was whether they improved their diet over those three years.

If that holds up, what matters most at 75 isn’t the diet you’ve had; it’s the direction you’re moving.

Our responsiveness to better habits does not appear to have an expiration date. Whether you’re starting at 42 or 82, real improvements in health and function are still available to you.

What I Hope You Will Do

More than nutrient targets or research statistics, I hope you will remember this: This decade, and the ones after it, are chapters that you still have the opportunity to write, with perhaps greater clarity about what actually matters. Taking positive steps can help give you strength, energy, and resilience to make the most of the years ahead, because the choices you make can influence how you experience those years.

“Use it or lose it” isn’t just true of muscle. It’s true of curiosity, connection, and your appetite for life itself. So, eat the protein. Take the walk. Call the friend. Try the recipe. Learn something new. Keep participating in your own life.

Not because you’re fighting aging, but because there is still so much to live for – people to love, things to learn. Contributions to make, experiences to savor, and stories still to tell.

Aging well is about giving ourselves the best opportunity to remain strong, engaged, and fully alive at any age. Let’s go for it!

Featured image: istock.com/Miljan Živković

Tell us in the comments: 

• What’s one change you’ve made that has made a real difference in your energy, strength, or daily life?
• What are your biggest challenges in adopting healthy lifestyle habits?
• What is your vision for healthy aging? 

Read Next:

• The Blue Zones: Longevity Secrets from Centenarians

The post The Wisdom Years: How to Optimize Diet and Lifestyle at 60+ appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

As the grandson of the co-founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream chain, that question resonated with me. As the son of John Robbins, who followed his own “rocky road” and became a plant-based advocate, I knew the answer that fit me.

“Yessir! I got soy milk!”

The “Got milk?” campaign, which ran from 1993 to 2014, made an effective and lasting impression on consumers. This is one reason why so many consumers, even today, strongly associate calcium with milk and dairy products.

But is this message valid? Are milk and dairy products the best places to get calcium? Or are other calcium-rich foods better for you? And is calcium really as important as we’ve been told it is?

What’s the Role of Calcium for Your Health?

Calcium is an essential mineral for human health. It’s primarily stored in your bones and teeth (it’s what makes your pearly whites so strong). And you have more calcium inside you than any other mineral. That works out well because your body needs calcium to perform several essential functions.

Calcium helps:

• Carry messages between your brain and the rest of your body
• Your nerves and muscles move
• Transport enzymes and hormones through your blood to where they need to go
• Keep your muscles, nerves, and blood vessels functioning well
• Maintain a healthy blood pressure 

Calcium also enables the most critical muscle in your body — your heart — to receive signals and contract. Without calcium, your heart would beat like the worst drummer in an elementary school battle of the bands!

How Much Calcium Do You Need? 

According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, the Recommended Dietary Allowance is as follows:

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says that older children and teens need the most calcium, at 1,300 mg per day. Pregnancy, lactation, and menopause can also increase calcium needs, as can reaching your older years when age-related bone loss often starts to occur. 

These numbers aren’t uniformly accepted, and may be higher than necessary. The National Health Service of Britain, for example, recommends considerably less daily calcium — only 700 mg — for non-lactating adults aged 19 to 64.

So, how much calcium you need may depend on which side of the pond you stand! (Or maybe, just possibly, it could also depend on how much food industry lobbyists influence your government’s bureaucrats.) What’s clear is that the target isn’t as settled as the “drink your milk” messaging implies, and that a number, on its own, doesn’t tell you much without looking at what else your bones need.

Calcium Myths and Controversies

There are a lot of #calcium posts on social media, and traditional health reporting also covers this nutrient a lot, but that doesn’t mean everything you hear is correct. Here’s a sad-but-generally-true safe bet: The more noise about a topic, the higher the likelihood that much of that information comes from those with a profit-driven agenda like trade organizations, food companies, and industry-manipulated governments.

So, what are some of the most widespread myths about calcium that are floating around?

Myth #1 — Dairy Products Are the Best Sources of Calcium

It is true that dairy is high in calcium, and it’s a legitimate source for many people. If you enjoy dairy and it works for you and your ethics, calcium isn’t the reason to give dairy up. But here’s the myth part: The idea that dairy is uniquely necessary, and that you can’t build strong bones without it, doesn’t hold up. In fact, high dairy consumption, which is also linked to high animal protein consumption, doesn’t reliably correlate with better bone health.

Scientists have grappled with a seeming paradox for a long time. A 1992 ecological analysis (basically, a comparison of food habits and health stats across multiple groups to see what correlations exist) found that in industrialized countries, the more animal protein women consumed, the greater their risk of hip fracture. In fact, an ecological analysis published in Calcified Tissue International found that when female hip fracture rates from 34 studies across 16 countries were compared with dietary animal protein intake, industrialized countries — which also tend to have higher dairy consumption — showed a strong positive association between higher animal protein intake and higher hip fracture rates. 

It’s worth noting that this kind of country-level comparison can’t rule out other differences between nations, such as lifespan, physical activity, sun exposure, or how fractures are diagnosed and recorded. So it shows an association rather than proof that animal protein, or dairy, causes fractures. 

More recent research is mixed. Some large cohort studies have found dairy or milk consumption associated with lower hip fracture risk. A large Swedish cohort found that women drinking three or more glasses of milk a day had higher fracture and mortality rates — but interestingly, fermented dairy like yogurt and cheese showed the opposite, with lower risk. And the researchers themselves cautioned that their findings were preliminary and needed to be replicated before anyone drew dietary conclusions from them. So the honest summary is that the data doesn’t point in one clean direction.

Read more on osteoporosis prevention here.

Dairy’s relationship to other health outcomes is beyond the scope of a bone health article, but it’s worth a brief mention. Some studies have associated higher dairy intake with increased risk of certain cancers (especially prostate cancer), though the evidence varies by cancer type and is still an area of active research. Many people also have significant concerns about the ethical and environmental impact of bovine dairy production.

For our purposes here, the takeaway is simply that dairy isn’t the only path to strong bones, and for many people, as we will see, plant sources offer calcium alongside a broader package of health-supporting nutrients.

Myth #2 — Getting Enough Calcium Is the Main Thing You Need to Do for Bone Health 

Calcium is important for bone health, no question. But calcium isn’t the only thing your bones need to be strong. 

Exercise plays a critical role, too. Weight-bearing activities send signals to your bones, encouraging them to grow denser and stronger to handle the stress. Researchers have found that resistance and high-impact exercise can significantly improve bone density and reduce the risk of fractures. In other words, strength training is as essential as minerals for lifelong bone strength. 

Exercises to focus on for bone health include weight-bearing activities, such as walking, running, tennis, dancing, stair-climbing, and weight-lifting. (Note to self: invent a new sport that combines tennis, dancing, stair-climbing, and weight-lifting. On second thought, maybe not.)

And vitamin D also turns out to be pretty darn important.

Here’s a fact that’s perplexed researchers: People in many Asian, South American, and Sub-Saharan African countries consume around one-third the amount of calcium that Americans do, yet bone fractures are rare in these countries. 

How is this possible? One plausible theory is that, due to their geographic locations and lifestyles, they have much higher exposure to sunlight, which naturally increases vitamin D levels. And vitamin D turns out to be another critical nutrient for bone health.

While sun exposure helps your body produce vitamin D, factors like darker skin tone, older age, living at higher latitudes, and winter weather can severely limit production, making food sources or testing and supplementation essential for many.

For more on vitamin D, see our article here.

Vitamin K2 is another nutrient that helps regulate calcium balance in the body and is important for maintaining bone health. It may help regulate bone mineral density and reduce the risk of fracture, particularly in postmenopausal women, one of the most at-risk populations for osteoporosis.

For plant-based eaters, K2 can be tricky to get from food. The richest source by far is natto, a fermented soybean dish that’s an acquired taste for many. Smaller amounts show up in other fermented foods like tempeh, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Your body can also convert some of the vitamin K1 in leafy greens into K2, but that conversion varies a lot from person to person and isn’t always efficient. So if you don’t eat natto regularly, K2 is one of the nutrients worth paying particular attention to, and one reason it’s often included in a well-formulated bone health supplement.

For more on vitamin K2, see our article here.

Myth #3 — Everyone Should Take a Calcium-Containing Supplement

It’s a widely held assumption that a calcium supplement is simply something everyone should take to protect their bones as they age. And a substantial share of older adults do.

But the evidence tells a more selective story: The people who clearly benefit are a specific group, not the general population. Chief among them are postmenopausal women and older adults, who bear the greatest burden of osteoporosis, which affects over 10 million adults in the U.S. and more than 200 million people worldwide. In these groups, the risk of fractures in the spine, hips, and wrists rises sharply — and for postmenopausal women specifically, hormonal changes accelerate bone loss and heighten the risk of calcium deficiency.

For vegan postmenopausal women, the case may be even stronger. The Adventist Health Study 2 tracked more than 34,000 people for an average of 8 years, during which 679 hip fractures occurred. Vegan women had a 55% higher risk of hip fracture than nonvegetarians. This gap was not seen in vegan men, which points to an interaction between a plant-based diet and postmenopausal bone loss rather than veganism alone. Tellingly, among vegan women who supplemented with both calcium and vitamin D, the elevated risk disappeared.

Part of the challenge is dietary. While calcium-rich plant foods can contribute meaningfully, consistently reaching the recommended 1,200 mg per day through food alone is difficult, especially if much of your calcium comes from high-oxalate greens, which bind calcium and limit how much you actually absorb (more on this below). For people in this position, supplementation can help close the gap. 

If you do supplement, the details matter. The two main forms are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate, and how much you need depends on what you already get from food and whether you have absorption issues. Calcium is best absorbed with food and in amounts under 600 mg at a time. The body isn’t built to handle a sudden deluge, so you’re generally better off taking only enough to complement your diet and spreading it across two daily doses. If you get 800 mg from food and want to reach 1,200 mg, for example, you might ideally take 200 mg twice a day.

But supplementation isn’t risk-free, and the benefit above is concentrated in specific groups, especially postmenopausal women and vegans. For people who aren’t at elevated risk of fracture, research suggests supplemental calcium may do more harm than good. The concern that has drawn the most scrutiny isn’t about bone at all; it’s about what all that supplemental calcium may be doing to the heart and blood vessels.

Calcium Supplements and Cardiovascular Disease 

Starting in 1995, the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study tracked almost 400,000 men and women aged 50–71 for an average of 12 years. More than half of the men and 70% of the women took supplemental calcium. The researchers found that high intake of supplemental calcium was linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease death in men (but not in women). 

That’s because while calcium supplements can raise blood calcium levels, not all of that calcium ends up where it’s needed. Some may deposit in your arteries, potentially leading to stiffened arteries and higher blood pressure. Both of these contribute to the development of heart disease.

To make calcium supplementation more effective and safer, it’s important to pair it with other key nutrients. Vitamin D increases calcium bioavailability, helping your body absorb and use it more efficiently. Meanwhile, vitamin K2 plays a critical role in directing calcium to where it’s needed — your bones — and away from places like your arteries. 

It’s also important to note that calcium supplementation can prevent certain medications from working. Specifically, it can reduce the absorption of certain antibiotics, anticonvulsants, and even, ironically enough, medications used to treat osteoporosis.

9 Plant-Based, Calcium-Rich Foods

So, if dairy products aren’t necessarily the best source of calcium, and if calcium supplementation can come with some drawbacks, the question is: Where should you ideally get your calcium?

Below are some of the most naturally calcium-rich plant foods. (All calcium amounts obtained from MyFoodData.)

Plant Foods High in Calcium #1 — Soy

• ½ cup of tofu (made with calcium sulfate) = 861 mg calcium
• 1 cup of unsweetened Edensoy organic soy milk = 40 mg calcium
• ½ cup of edamame = 102 mg calcium

Organic soy foods that are unprocessed, like soybeans or edamame, or lightly processed, like tofu and soy milk, are high in calcium and great for many recipes. And tofu, when it’s made with calcium sulfate, is something of a calcium superstar (1 cup can nearly meet your entire calcium RDA!). Use extra-firm tofu in stir-fries, pasta dishes, tofu scrambles, or even sliced on sandwiches. Try silken tofu in smoothies, dips, and sauces.

You can drink soy milk by itself or use it as you would cow’s milk — for example, in cereal, as a base for smoothies and sauces, or baking. 

Edamame, or green soybeans, can be purchased in the frozen section of many markets. They are available in pods or pre-shelled. Edamame can be added to salads, Buddha bowls, or homemade hummus. 

For more on soy, read our article, Soy Facts: Is Soy Healthy or Harmful?

Plant Foods High in Calcium #2 — Seeds

• 1 ounce sesame seeds = 280 mg calcium
• 1 ounce chia seeds = 180 mg calcium

I love to keep a variety of nuts and seeds in the pantry. I sprinkle sesame seeds on a salad or roasted veggies. Chia seeds are great in smoothies, oatmeal, or ground and sprinkled on almost everything. (Not on your dog or cat, however. That’s not what they mean by “chia pet.”)

If you prefer a spread, tahini (sesame seed butter) offers 130 mg of calcium in just 2 tablespoons. That’s about 10% of what your body will need in the U.S. and 20% in Britain. (At least, according to those official government recommendations, that is!)

For more on sesame, read our article, What Is Sesame? Explore the Benefits & Uses of Sesame Seeds and Tahini.

For more on chia seeds, read our article, 9 Health Benefits of Chia Seeds and How to Eat Them. 

Plant Foods High in Calcium #3 — Beans

• 1 cup navy beans = 125 mg calcium
• 1 cup baked beans = 154 mg calcium
• 1 cup red kidney beans = 116 mg calcium
• 1 cup pinto beans = 78 mg calcium

Beans are an incredibly versatile pantry staple (and you can use them in art projects and maracas). At under $2 per pound dry (or often less than $2 per can), they’re affordable, too. Add beans to soups, salads, burritos, pasta, casseroles, tacos, and pizzas. (Under no circumstances should you spread them on your dog or cat.)

For more on beans, read our article, The Benefits of Beans: Why They Deserve a Place in Your Diet.

Plant Foods High in Calcium #4 — Okra

• 1 cup cooked okra = 123 mg calcium

In addition to calcium, okra, also known as bhindi in India, is also a good source of magnesium, vitamin K, and folate — three nutrients that work synergistically with calcium to maintain strong bones. Its unique, slimy (or, if you are building your vocabulary, “mucilaginous”) texture can add thickness to soups and stews, making it a staple in many cuisines.

In addition to soups and stews, try roasting, baking, or air-frying okra for the most palatable (i.e., least mucilaginous) consistency.

For more on okra, read our article, What Is Okra & Is it Good for You?

Plant Foods High in Calcium #5 — Almonds

• 1 oz raw almonds = 76 mg calcium
• 1 Tbsp almond butter = 55 mg calcium

Almond butter is a great alternative to peanut butter. It’s easy to make with a high-speed blender or food processor. You can add raw almonds to smoothies, muffins, and pancakes or eat them as a snack. 

For more on almonds and other nuts, read our article, Nut Health Benefits: You Won’t Believe How Good They Are for You.

Plant Foods High in Calcium #6 — Low-Oxalate Leafy Greens

iStock.com/alice_dias_didszoleit

• 1 cup of cooked collard greens = 267 mg calcium
• 1 cup cooked bok choy = 158 mg calcium
• 1 cup cooked kale = 195 mg calcium

While pretty much all leafy greens are high in calcium, some contain high oxalate concentrations. These compounds (also found in other plant foods) can block calcium absorption. Oxalates can make otherwise highly nutritious vegetables — like spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens — not-so-great sources of calcium.

Collard greens, bok choy, and kale have lower oxalate content. Mix these into salads, or try them sauteed or steamed.

Learn more about leafy greens in our article, Leafy Greens: How to Source, Wash, Store, & Prepare Them.

For more on oxalates, read our article, Are Oxalates Bad for You? And Should You Avoid Foods that are High in Oxalates?

Plant Foods High in Calcium #7 — Oranges

• 1 medium navel orange = 52 mg calcium

Oranges are famous for their vitamin C content and are also high in calcium. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy a juicy orange than to eat it raw.

For more on oranges, read our article, Are Oranges Good for You — or the Planet?

Plants High in Calcium #8 — Broccoli Raab (Rapini)

• 1 cup cooked broccoli raab (or “rabe”) = 185 mg calcium

Regular ol’ broccoli is a decent source of calcium, coming in at around 60 mg per cup — but its cruciferous cousin and semi-namesake broccoli raab (also known as rapini) has more. It can be boiled, sautéed, or seasoned and roasted.

Plant Foods High in Calcium #9 — Dried Figs

• 3 dried figs = 39 mg calcium

If you’re not a fan of eating dried figs plain, they’re great additions to baked goods, like muffins, breads, and scones. You can also use them to sweeten and add texture to smoothies. 

For more on figs, check out our article, Figs: Are They Good for You and the Planet?

What About Calcium-Fortified Plant Milk? 

Most plant milks are fortified with calcium, though some aren’t. Fortified milk can contain as much — if not more — calcium than a glass of cow’s milk.

If you drink plant milk, check the label, as the calcium content can vary between varieties and brands.

Of course, fortification is just a way of adding a supplement to food. The good news is that because it’s in food, it comes along with other nutrients, and it’s delivered in relatively small amounts that are typically spread out over time.

Do Any Factors Affect Calcium Absorption?

If you’re one of the people who struggles with your calcium levels, it could be that the problem doesn’t stem from not consuming enough calcium. It’s possible that you’re not absorbing it properly.

Several things can interfere with how much calcium you absorb:

• Eating too much sodium. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that post-menopausal women with high-sodium diets excreted a lot more calcium in their pee than other women — almost 30 mg/day more. So cutting down on salt can help protect bone health in older women.

Some ways to cut down on sodium include avoiding high-sodium processed and packaged foods, rinsing canned beans and vegetables (unless they are unsalted to begin with), and adding little or no salt when cooking. Many experts suggest keeping your sodium intake to under 1,000 to 2,000 mg per day, especially if you have heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

• Smoking and tobacco use. Tobacco can promote calcium loss by inhibiting absorption, reducing bone density, and increasing fracture risk. It’s worth noting that smokers also tend to share other bone-harming habits, like less physical activity, poorer diet, higher alcohol use, and earlier menopause, so tobacco is often one piece of a larger picture.
• Eating a lot of protein. You may have heard that protein is bad for your bones, because higher protein intake increases the amount of calcium you excrete in your urine. This is true, and it applies to plant protein as much as animal protein. A 2003 study found that protein from soy, corn, wheat, and rice raises urinary calcium about as much as eggs, milk, and meat do.

But more calcium in your urine doesn’t mean your bones are being depleted to supply it. Controlled studies using isotope tracing found that a high-protein diet actually increases how much calcium you absorb from food — and that less of the calcium in your urine is coming from bone, not more. That may be why so many studies link higher-protein diets to higher, not lower, bone density.

So protein isn’t the enemy. Quite the opposite: About half of your bone volume is protein, and getting enough is essential. What matters is the whole package. Pairing protein with calcium- and potassium-rich foods — the potassium in legumes and grains actually helps reduce calcium loss — helps you to maximize the bone health benefits of protein in your diet.

• Not getting enough of other nutrients. For your body to properly absorb and use calcium, you need other nutrients, including vitamins D, C, K, E, and B12, as well as magnesium, zinc, and boron.
• Getting your calcium only from oxalate-containing sources. Getting your calcium only from oxalate-rich sources. As we saw with leafy greens above, oxalates bind calcium in the digestive tract and block its absorption. A study directly measuring absorption found spinach and rhubarb at the bottom, while lower-oxalate options like Chinese mustard greens and cabbage absorbed several times better. The takeaway: Enjoy spinach and chard for their many other nutrients, but don’t count on them for calcium.

What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Calcium?

Because your body treats blood calcium as a life-or-death priority, it will steal calcium from your bones to keep blood levels steady. This means your blood calcium level will usually test completely normal even if your diet is deficient and your bones are becoming brittle. True low blood calcium (hypocalcemia) is rare and typically caused by underlying medical issues like kidney or parathyroid conditions, not diet alone.

Calcium-Rich Recipes

Craving something delicious and nutrient-packed? These three recipes deliver big on flavor and calcium! From the creamy Silken Tofu Salad and the irresistible Almond Ricotta Pear Toast to the comforting Red Bean Gumbo With Okra, each dish is loaded with plant-based goodness that supports your bones and enhances your calcium intake. With nourishing ingredients like tofu, almonds, sesame seeds, red beans, and okra, these recipes make healthy eating feel like a true treat.

1. Almond Ricotta Pear Toast With Balsamic Fig Jam

Elevate your toast game with Almond Ricotta Pear Toast topped with a luscious Balsamic Fig Jam. Creamy almond ricotta pairs beautifully with sweet, tender pears and a tangy, herby fig jam for a flavor-packed bite. The almond ricotta and fig jam bring a boost of plant-based calcium, making this toast as wholesome as it is delicious. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a fancy snack, this dish is as nourishing as it is indulgent. Bonus: it’s so pretty you might want to snap a picture before diving in.

2. Silken Tofu Salad With Sweet and Savory Dressing

Silken Tofu Salad With Sweet and Savory Dressing is a creamy, vibrant dish packed with a refreshing crunch and bold flavors. The silken tofu melts in your mouth, while sesame seeds and a zesty dressing tie everything together for a satisfying bite. A good source of plant-based calcium from tofu and sesame seeds, this salad is as nourishing as it is delicious. Bright bell peppers, crisp cucumbers, and buttery avocado make it a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner, it’s a simple way to enjoy calcium-rich plants!

3. Red Bean Gumbo With Okra

Dive into a bowl of Red Bean Gumbo With Okra, a hearty, flavor-packed dish that brings the taste of Louisiana to your table. Bursting with spices, tender red beans, and the rich texture of okra, this gumbo is satisfying and a delicious way to boost your calcium intake. Red beans and okra are powerhouses of this essential mineral, making each spoonful as nourishing as it is tasty. Served over fluffy brown rice, it’s comfort food with a wholesome twist. Perfect for cozy evenings, this gumbo is a celebration of bold flavors and plant-based goodness!

The Bottom Line on Calcium

Calcium matters, for your bones, your heart, and dozens of functions happening in your body right now. But if there’s one idea to walk away with, it’s that calcium doesn’t work alone, and it was never only about dairy.

Your bones are living tissue, remodeling today and every day. The choices you make now are shaping the skeleton that will carry you for decades to come. And the good news is that you have real influence over how that story unfolds.

So here’s the strategy, distilled: Build your foundation on calcium-rich plant foods like low-oxalate greens, tofu, beans, and seeds, which deliver calcium alongside the magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K your bones also need. Move your body with weight-bearing and resistance exercise. Get your vitamin D. And if you’re a postmenopausal woman — especially if you’re plant-based and lean — take this seriously, because your risk is real and the gap between what you eat and what you need can be hard to close through food alone. That’s exactly where a well-formulated, appropriately-dosed supplement with D3 and K2 can help.

Your skeleton has carried you through every chapter of your life so far. Give it what it needs, and it will keep carrying you, strong, steady, and ready for whatever comes next.

Tell us in the comments:

• What are your favorite calcium-rich foods?
• What special precautions do you take to avoid osteoporosis?

Featured Image: iStock.com/ratmaner

Read Next:

• Plant-Based Milk: What to Consider When Choosing a Dairy Milk Alternative

• Plant-Based Protein: The Best Sources & How Much You Actually Need

The post Calcium: How Much Do You Need And What Are the Best Sources? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

The word lectin comes from the Latin “legere,” meaning “to select,” because it was thought that they choose the carbohydrates to which they bind. You can think of lectins as the bumps and holes in Lego blocks, which are unrelated to the Latin word “legere” (but it would be fun if they were).

Some researchers think plants evolved lectins to protect themselves against pests and pathogens. This protective effect is similar to that of other phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, which serve as natural defenses in plants and are extremely good for us as well.

Where Are Lectins Found?

Lectins are found in a wide variety of both animal and plant foods. About 30% of the food we eat daily contains lectins. 

Foods High in Lectins

Some of the foods richest in lectins include:

• Beans
• Peanuts
• Lentils
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Peas
• Soy
• Barley
• Eggplant
• Fruits
• Wheat
• Rice

Looking over that list, we can see a few categories of lectin-rich foods: legumes, nuts, grains, fruits, and nightshade vegetables. While the amount of lectins in individual ingredients can vary greatly, these categories of foods generally contain high levels. 

The Lectin Controversy: Why the Real Story Is More Interesting Than You’ve Heard

The primary reason there is controversy over eating lectins today is the best-selling book The Plant Paradox by Dr. Steven Gundry. The book, released in 2017, advocates a lectin-free diet.

The author claims that lectins adversely impact your gut flora — the bacteria that live in your digestive system — which can lead to a whole slew of unwanted effects. He claims that many people suffer from lectin intolerance or sensitivity, symptoms of which can include gas, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, aching joints, and even allergic reactions after eating them. 

The Plant Paradox goes so far as to say that lectins are the biggest dietary danger to our health and may even be killing us. Dr. Gundry warns against eating beans, nuts, and many fruits and vegetables, urging us to remove lectins from our diets. 

What benefits purportedly come from eating a lectin-free diet? The main claims include improved digestion, more energy, less gas and bloating after eating, better mood and brainpower, and even improved weight control. 

Those are some pretty bold promises. So what’s the deal? Are these claims backed up by research? Do we have studies demonstrating that the purported benefits of a lectin-free diet are real?

Let’s look at the science.

For Most People, Most of the Time, Lectin-Rich Foods Are Among the Healthiest You Can Eat

An admission: When I started working on this article, I thought the simple message would be that lectins are great and Dr Gundry is making everything up. But as I dug into the research, I changed my mind. The science on lectins turns out to be genuinely fascinating, and way more nuanced than either Gundry’s alarming claims or a flat dismissal of his concerns would suggest. 

A 2024 review in the journal Heliyon took stock of what scientists now know about lectins and the immune system, and it concluded that some lectins — particularly those in soybeans and wheat — can trigger inflammatory pathways in the body. Others, including lectins found in mushrooms and certain flowering plants, appear to do the opposite, calming immune responses and helping to restore balance in the gut. 

The review concludes that whether a lectin is harmful or helpful depends heavily on which lectin it is, how much of it you consume, and the specific biological environment it encounters. In other words, the science doesn’t support a one-size-fits-all verdict; lumping all lectins together as either villains or heroes misses the point entirely.

And — a little foreshadowing here — while nuance is good when searching for truth, a message demonizing all lectins turns out to be far more effective at selling supplements.

Here’s what the research shows: Most lectins in properly cooked whole foods are not only harmless for most people but also actively beneficial. Some lectins have such powerful anticancer properties that researchers are investigating them as therapies. 

Others, in specific contexts and with specific people, can cause problems. 

Let’s start by looking at the “good” lectins and what benefits they can deliver. First, Dr. Gundry gets it right: plant lectins bind to carbohydrates, which slows their digestion. The thing is, this is actually a feature, not a bug. 

Lectins can lower the glycemic index of carbohydrates, contributing to the weight loss and anti-diabetes effects of beans and many other plant foods. This may be one reason that high-lectin foods like beans, along with many fruits and vegetables, are among the healthiest foods we can eat. In general, the more you eat, the lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

Beans, for example, are rich in many anticancer phytochemicals, which is why they consistently show very powerful associations with lower rates of breast cancer. There’s a type of lectin found in mushrooms that’s been found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. And, probably not coincidentally, mushrooms are another food offering powerful protection against cancer. Tomatoes are high in lectins as well as the powerful antioxidant lycopene, which has shown extraordinary anticancer effects. 

Lectins found in soybeans, bananas, buckwheat, mushrooms, and many other plant foods exhibit such strong anticancer effects that many of them are being investigated as potential cancer therapies.

Lectins may help fight some cancers

A 2017 report published in the International Journal of Molecular Science examined how plant lectins are currently being used to fight cancers of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, and pancreas. Some lectins are used to detect and diagnose cancer cells. Others are used for therapeutic purposes because of their anti-tumor activity and ability to trigger cancer cell death. 

A 2022 paper reviews a lectin called Concanavalin A — the most studied plant lectin — as a potent anti-cancer agent. Researchers report that it can bind to receptors on cancer cells, modulating signaling cascades (kind of like silencing the “grow, grow, grow” chatter in the cells’ group chat), activating immune cells, and killing tumor cells through autophagy and apoptosis across various cancer types.

The journal Cancers even created a 2025 special issue dedicated entirely to “Lectins in Cancer.” (I guess that’s kind of like when People magazine has a special issue like “Cher at 80” or “Michael J Fox: His Inspiring Career”?) The researchers focused on lectin interactions with the tumor microenvironment and how they can be used to diagnose and treat cancer. This is a highly active and growing area of research.

Some people feel better when they avoid lectins

Despite all the apparent benefits of lectins, some people genuinely do report feeling better after cutting out lectin-rich foods. One likely explanation has nothing to do with lectins specifically: Eliminating grains and nightshade vegetables may, for some people, coincide with cutting out processed flour, refined sugar, and calorie-dense packaged foods. And any move away from ultraprocessed foods is likely to drive improvement. 

For people with diagnosed autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, a temporary low-lectin elimination trial under the guidance of a registered dietitian may be worth exploring to identify specific triggers. 

Not because lectins are inherently dangerous, but because individual biology is real and your experience in your own body matters. For example, people with a compromised gut lining or specific digestive conditions may find that certain lectins cause irritation. In those cases, the issue isn’t that beans or eggplant are inherently harmful, but that the person’s digestive environment may need to be strengthened to digest these foods without gas, bloating, or other issues. This is a real phenomenon that deserves a real answer, and it’s one that a qualified healthcare professional can help you navigate.

(Food Revolution Summit speakers James and Dahlia Marin lead a team of registered dietitians who help people resolve complex gut health issues. You can find out more about their work here.)

Who Should Avoid Lectins?

Despite their potential benefits, there may be people who should avoid lectins, or at least certain lectins, such as the following:

• People with allergies to lectin-containing foods
• People with a digestive sensitivity, such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease
• Possibly people with some autoimmune disorders 

As in all things, listen to your own body. You are the only you on the planet. Just because most of the lectin-rich foods are shown, in numerous studies, to be beneficial to human health doesn’t mean they’re necessarily right for all people, all the time — or for you, right now. 

A small percentage of the population does have a sensitivity to lectins, just as some people must avoid wheat, corn, fruit, and tree nuts. But one person’s walnut allergy doesn’t mean that another person should refrain from eating walnuts.

If you do notice any side effects after eating lectin-rich foods, then you might have a sensitivity to certain lectins (or to other components of those foods), and you might want to consider reducing or avoiding them — or making sure they’re adequately cooked. There are some people, for example, who don’t do well eating large amounts of raw tomatoes. But they can typically handle abundant pasta sauce and other forms of cooked tomatoes without a problem.

Although eating certain lectins could present difficulties in some situations, it’s highly unlikely that you’re eating a diet high in uncooked or undercooked lectins of the problematic variety. I don’t know anyone who reaches for a handful of raw, uncooked kidney beans when their stomach starts rumbling.

The Truth About Lectin Toxicity

Given all that overwhelming evidence in favor of common lectin-containing foods, what evidence does Dr. Gundry marshal to support his claim that lectins are the Devil’s proteins? (He doesn’t refer to them in those words, but I think it’s a pretty catchy phrase. Looks like I missed my calling as an anti-lectin marketer!)

In some cases, it’s a flimsy case of guilt by association.

Dr. Gundry and his fellow “lectophobes” (I’m pretty sure I just made that word up) like to point out that one of the lectins found in castor beans, a compound called ricin, is one of the deadliest poisons ever discovered. Apparently, Russian hitmen like to inject it into the bloodstreams of their victims (sometimes with special, spring-loaded umbrella guns). The assassin casually walks away, and the recipient of the injection dies within 48 hours. 

It’s not just castor beans that can deliver a toxic dose of lectins (with or without a spring-loaded umbrella). Raw kidney beans contain a lectin called phytohaemagglutinin, which causes unpleasant digestive symptoms (extreme nausea, severe vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea) when consumed. Eating just four or five raw beans can trigger those symptoms. 

The important distinction is between lectins in raw or seriously undercooked food, where toxicity is real and well-documented, and lectins in properly prepared whole foods, where the picture is almost entirely positive for most people. 

For example, raw kidney beans contain 20,000 to 70,000 hemagglutinating units (abbreviated hau, and used as a measure of toxicity), while properly cooked kidney beans contain just 200–400 (1,000+ times less!). 

These are not the same thing, and treating them as if they were is one of the main sleights of hand in the anti-lectin argument.

Most Lectins Are Beneficial in Small Amounts

You might be thinking, “Well, if some lectins are pro-inflammatory, and others are used by Russian assassins, should I just steer clear?” After all, if the evolutionary purpose of lectins is to create “plant poisons” to prevent them from predation, why would you want to poison yourself?

The answer becomes clear when we look at the other phytonutrients: compounds in plants that are really good for us (and often indispensable to our health). It’s actually the mild stress of a tiny amount of “poison” that triggers healing responses in our bodies. Kind of like the stress of lifting heavy weights that makes our muscle fibers respond by growing stronger.

The fancy name for good stress that forces us to grow stronger is “hormesis.” Without experiencing regular doses of hormesis in the form of small, manageable challenges, we become fragile to our environments and do not thrive. The keywords here are small and manageable. 

If you look up hormesis in a scientific textbook, you’ll see a bunch of graphs shaped like the letters U or J that illustrate the dose-response nature of the phenomenon. That is, a small amount of some toxins is actually good for you, while a larger dose is not. And a large enough dose (like that contained in killer KGB umbrellas) will kill you. 

That’s one part of the answer to Dr. Gundry’s so-called “Plant Paradox.” The other part is that not all lectins behave the same way, which means the solution isn’t to avoid all lectin-containing foods, but to understand which ones work for your particular body and the best ways to prepare them.

Reducing Lectins in Food

Now, you might be worried about your daily lectin intake. How can you be sure you’re not getting too much and drifting into KGB umbrella territory through your irresponsibly enthusiastic consumption of lentils, eggplant, and barley? 

Luckily, most lectins are completely neutralized by cooking. Yes, eating a bunch of raw kidney beans will give you a miserable case of vomiting and diarrhea. But before that happens, eating raw kidney beans will give you a miserable case of broken teeth. So why on earth would you be eating raw or seriously undercooked kidney beans? 

The uncooked bean argument favored by lectophobes is a straw man; cook the beans, and the lectins are rendered utterly harmless to most people. In fact, even Dr. Gundry concedes that when beans are pressure-cooked (as all canned beans are), they’re pretty safe.

The problem with this admission is that it can still mislead people into thinking that legumes are dangerous and must be processed with all the care and attention generally reserved for a half-pound of plutonium. The truth is, beans are a staple of some of the longest-lived people on earth. And I’m pretty confident that Sardinian peasants and Okinawan farmers haven’t been using Instant Pots to neutralize their lectins for the past hundred years. 

If you want to be thorough about reducing lectins in your cooking, here’s what works: soak your legumes before cooking them. This leaches lectins into the soaking water, so you should discard it rather than cook with it. It also activates germination if you soak them long enough (at least 24 hours), making the nutrients in your beans more bioavailable.

To neutralize the remaining lectins (those really stubborn ones, I guess), pressure cook those legumes. As we’ve seen, canned beans, which are pressure-cooked, are essentially lectin-free. 

Another way to handle lectins is to ferment or sprout grains and legumes. These methods naturally break down lectins as they progress. 

And remember: For most commonly eaten foods prepared with standard cooking methods, lectin levels are not a meaningful concern for most people.

What the Broader Scientific Community Says

Given the paucity of evidence for Dr. Gundry’s argument, and the fact that The Plant Paradox is adding fuel to our already raging fire of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease by discouraging people from eating some of the most protective foods on the planet, I don’t want to portray this as just another vigorous debate among thoughtful scientists.

To understand the anti-lectin movement, you need to follow the money. 

Dr. Gundry’s solution to the Plant Paradox is a suite of supplements and programs — a lectin shield, a range of “must-have” products, and various membership offerings. His widely aired infomercials and marketing campaigns aren’t free. It would seem likely that his company is recouping its investment through high-volume repeat sales. 

A nuanced, individualized message about which lectins matter for which people in which contexts doesn’t sell supplements. A simple villain narrative (“lectins are deadly and these pills and powders will protect you”) does. When the science is genuinely complex, it’s worth asking who benefits most from flattening it into something scary and simple.

Yes, some people should limit their exposure to lectins. But I think that the vast majority of us should probably dismiss Dr. Gundry’s assertions out of hand. The truth is that the foods Dr. Gundry warns against are among the most studied, most protective foods in the human diet. Telling people to avoid them has real consequences.

Should You Eat Lectins?

The evidence is clear. For most people, properly prepared lectin-rich whole foods are among the most powerful disease-fighting foods available. These foods provide plenty of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are great for human health. When it comes to adverse reactions to eating lectins, most people don’t experience these as long as cooking methods are adequate. Soaking and cooking legumes can minimize the potential side effects. 

I’ve seen a lot of nutritional nonsense, but I have to say that telling people to avoid plant foods such as beans, berries, and tomatoes because they contain lectins strikes me as generally (though not always) terrible advice. Here we are, with soaring rates of chronic diseases that are clearly linked to eating too many low-nutrient, low-fiber, sugar-enhanced, heavily processed foods, yet we’re being warned against eating some of the healthiest foods on the planet.

My advice? Don’t buy the oversimplification in either direction. The science on lectins is genuinely interesting and shows that most lectin-rich whole foods, properly prepared, are among the most powerful disease-fighting foods available to us. 

For most people, most of the time, beans, tomatoes, berries, and whole grains are not the problem. They’re a big part of the solution. 

If you have specific digestive or autoimmune conditions, work with a clinician to figure out what works for your body. And if someone is selling you a supplement to solve a problem that cooking your beans already solves for free, be a little skeptical.

Tell us in the comments:

• What do you think?
• Do you eat lectins? Why or why not?

Featured Image: iStock.com/malerapaso

Read Next:

• Are Nightshades Safe? Are They Healthy?
• Gluten-Free: Is it for Everyone?

The post The Truth About Lectins: What are Lectins and Are They Bad? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

But then things started getting messy. When researchers began to realize that vitamin B was actually an entire family of substances, similar in form and function, but unique in the roles they play in human health. Instead of adding more letters (there weren’t that many left, and who knew where this proliferation of Bs was going to end), the namers turned to numbers: B1, B2, B3, B5, and so on. 

A few things here. First, there’s no B4, which you could charitably chalk up to not wanting to be responsible for the following hypothetical conversation:

Parent: “Did you take your B4?”

Child: “Did I take my what before?”

Thank you, science.

Second, while there are eight B vitamins, there are no B batteries, which feels suspicious to me.

And third, the Bs aren’t even named in chronological order. If you peruse the 1,098-page classic, Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Edition, by Lundblad and McDonald, you’ll learn that B12 was first identified in 1926, while B3 wasn’t discovered until 1936. Either these folks had other things on their minds, or time travel is real. You decide.

Anyway, none of that is to take away from the importance of the B family of vitamins. In fact, all of them are essential for a healthy body and mind, and play an integral role in how your body functions, starting at a cellular level. 

Conventional nutritional wisdom holds that the best places to find B vitamins are in animal products, where you can generally find them in abundance. But is it possible to get what you need from plant-based foods? What are the health benefits and risks of the various B vitamins? And should you supplement? These are the questions that we’ll tackle in this article. And we won’t take 1,098 pages to do it.

What Are the B Vitamins?

B vitamins refer to a group of eight different vitamins that make up what’s often called the B-complex. The B vitamins are:

• Thiamin (vitamin B1)
• Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
• Niacin (vitamin B3)
• Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
• Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)
• Biotin (vitamin B7)
• Folate (vitamin B9)
• Cobalamin (vitamin B12)

This group of vitamins helps your body convert food into energy — a process known as metabolism — as well as create new blood cells. They’re also important for the maintenance of healthy skin cells, brain cells, and other body tissues. 

Like vitamin C, the B vitamins are water-soluble. Unlike the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are best absorbed when ingested alongside dietary fats, the water-soluble vitamins can be taken with water and then used by your body. Bacteria in the intestinal tract of animals produce B vitamins, which is why some nutritionists have recommended eating animals to meet your daily requirement. This isn’t necessary, as many plants also contain these nutrients (see below for examples). 

In fact, scientists recently discovered that bacteria in the human microbiome also generate B vitamins. This makes logical sense, given that humans are, in fact, animals, but there are a couple of reasons that we can’t rely exclusively on our internal B factories. 

First, not every human digestive tract produces enough of these compounds. Second, you absorb B vitamins in the small intestines, but the bacteria that manufacture these vitamins are located in your large intestines. Since the large intestines are the next to last stop on the poop train, it’s not clear how fully and efficiently those vitamins get to their absorption sites. 

For these reasons, many of us need to be intentional with our dietary sources of B vitamins to make sure we’re getting enough. Given that there are eight of them, that might seem like a full-time job. But luckily, most B vitamins are found together in many foods, making this task much simpler than keeping track of each one separately.

8 Key Benefits of the B Vitamins

1. Protect Against Diabetes

Getting enough B vitamins is important for regulating your blood sugar. Lower levels of B1, B6, and B7 have been observed in people with diabetes, and supplementing these has been shown to improve metabolic control. Additionally, pharmaceutical doses of B1 and B3 may be useful to prevent kidney and cardiovascular complications in people with type 2 diabetes. The absorption of B9 and B12 has been found to decrease with metformin use, a drug commonly used to manage blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. So if you have type 2 diabetes or other conditions that require close monitoring of your blood glucose, it’s extra important to make sure you’re getting enough of those two B vitamins.

2. Protect Against Heart Disease

Vitamins B6, B9, and B12 help reduce levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which contributes to increased cardiovascular disease risk when elevated (called hyperhomocysteinemia, and worth 8 gazillion points in Scrabble). These B vitamins improve vascular endothelial function and help keep your blood vessels dilated, which supports healthy circulation and is good for your heart. 

Vitamins B3 and B5 have traditionally been associated with improving cholesterol — B3, aka niacin, in particular, was once widely used as a cholesterol-lowering drug and has been called “the granddaddy of cholesterol-lowering drugs” by Harvard Medical School. 

The picture has grown more complicated since niacin’s cholesterol-fighting heyday in the 1950s. Research has consistently shown that high-dose niacin supplementation does not meaningfully reduce cardiovascular events when added to statin therapy. In fact, too much niacin can actually be dangerous. A 2024 study published in Nature Medicine found that excess niacin produces a metabolite called 4PY that may actually promote vascular inflammation and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. 

As a result, high-dose niacin is no longer recommended as a standard treatment for high cholesterol. There’s still plenty of positive news about niacin from whole food sources, though. Getting your B3 from foods like brown rice, nuts, seeds, legumes, and bananas is still good for you and doesn’t carry these risks.

3. Protect the Brain and Prevent or Treat Alzheimer’s Disease 

Vitamins B2, B6, B9, and B12 play a role in cognitive health, and a 2025 systematic review of 17 clinical trials found that supplementing with them offered a modest benefit on global cognitive function in older adults.

Some observational studies have found an association between low serum folate (B9) levels, worse cognitive function, and a higher risk for Alzheimer’s. And low serum B12 is also associated with poor brain function. Vitamin B1 is a key factor in protecting against alcohol-related dementia, as it can prevent the accumulation of iron deposits in the brain that lead to deterioration. B1 may also have the potential to help people with mild Alzheimer’s, according to a recent small exploratory clinical trial published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

All that said, while the associations between B vitamins and brain health are real, it’s not clear yet whether B vitamin supplementation can meaningfully prevent or slow cognitive decline.

4. Protect Against Cancer

Getting your B vitamins may boost your protection against certain cancers. Vitamins B2, B6, and B9 have been shown to work against cancerous tumors when applied to lymphoma cells in a lab setting. Vitamin B6 has also been shown to reduce the risk of lung cancer. In one study, researchers followed almost 160,000 women for 18 years and found that women who took at least 50 milligrams per day of supplemental vitamin B6 had a 16% reduction in lung cancer risk compared to those who did not take the vitamin. 

And while a 2017 study appeared to suggest that vitamin B12 supplementation might increase lung cancer risk among men, especially if they smoked, data from many randomized controlled trials have found that there’s no reason to believe B12 supplementation has any adverse effect on cancer risk. In fact, a small study among 400 Canadian women found that supplemental B9 and B12 could reduce the risk for breast cancer, particularly among those with BRCA1 gene mutations.

5. Improve Mood

All B vitamins — and especially B6, B9, and B12 — seem to help prevent depression, stress, and anxiety. A 2019 meta-analysis and review of 16 studies concluded that, compared with a placebo, B vitamin supplements appear to help improve overall mood and reduce stress, especially among people at higher risk of poor nutrition or with poor mood. (For people who prefer plain talk, I think “poor mood status” can be translated to “feeling crappy.”)

6. Protect Against Birth Defects

The B vitamins are also crucial for supporting a healthy pregnancy and normal fetal development. Getting enough B9 and B12 is important to the development of a baby’s spinal cord. This is why it’s standard practice to educate mothers-to-be on supplementing with folic acid and eating folate (B9)-rich foods like dark leafy greens, lentils, and oranges during pregnancy, to meet their minimum 400 micrograms per day requirement of this nutrient. In addition, some research suggests that vitamin B3 may help bypass genetic mutations that can cause certain birth defects or an increased risk of miscarriage.

7. Balance Hormones

B vitamins have many roles within the reproductive system and may help naturally maintain hormonal balance. Many women find success with supplemental vitamin B6 for alleviating nausea associated with morning sickness, as well as reducing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. And vitamins B3 and B5 are needed for hormone production in the adrenal glands, including sex and stress hormones.

8. Keep Nails, Hair, and Skin Healthy

All of the B vitamins may work together to keep your hair, skin, and nails healthy, but B7, B9, and B12 may be especially helpful. Biotin (B7) deficiency often presents as brittle nails, hair loss, and skin rash, and while evidence is mostly anecdotal, biotin supplementation is often used in hopes of improving these conditions. Changes in your nails are often the result of micronutrient deficiencies, including an array of B vitamins. In fact, a B12 deficiency may show up as entirely blue nails or other dark pigmentation. And a folate (B9) deficiency can cause your nails to become brittle and rigid. 

For more information about how to eat for healthy nails and hair, here’s our full article. 

And for an article about the best foods for healthy skin, we’ve got you covered as well.

Sources of B Vitamins

Now that you know how important B vitamins are to your health, where can you find them? Fortunately, there are many sources of B vitamins in whole foods that you may already enjoy — or can easily add to your diet. 

B Vitamin Food Sources

Most B vitamins can be found in animal products, like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy, but some of the best sources are plant-based and include whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, leafy greens, fortified foods, bananas, mushrooms, avocado, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli. 

More specifically, below are some of the best places to find each of the eight B-complex vitamins from plant-based foods:

• Vitamin B1: beans, peas, lentils, and sunflower seeds
• Vitamin B2: almonds, tofu, mushrooms, avocado, and spinach
• Vitamin B3: brown rice, nuts, seeds, legumes, and bananas
• Vitamin B5: mushrooms, avocado, nuts, seeds, potatoes, brown rice, oats, and broccoli
• Vitamin B6: chickpeas, dark leafy greens, papayas, bananas, oranges, and cantaloupe
• Vitamin B7: sweet potatoes, nuts, seeds, and avocado
• Vitamin B9: dark leafy greens, beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and oranges.
• Vitamin B12: fortified nutritional yeast and breakfast cereals, as well as enriched plant-based milks and yogurts

B Vitamin Supplements

Most of the B vitamins (other than B12) can be obtained from eating a variety of whole foods. But you may want to supplement with certain ones if you don’t think you get enough from your diet, or if you fall into a group at higher risk of deficiencies. 

You may want to consider supplementing with folic acid — the more bioavailable synthetic form of folate — if you fall into a group that’s at higher risk for folate deficiency, like pregnant women and people with a history of chronic alcohol use.

Vitamin B12 also deserves extra attention because it’s not readily found in plant foods. Still, it’s not just plant-based eaters who are at risk. In fact, one study conducted in 2000 by researchers at Tufts University found that nearly 40% of Americans (including omnivores) might have been deficient in this B vitamin. As such, supplementation may be advisable for most people and is strongly recommended for vegans. For more on B12, see our article here.)

If you choose to supplement, you’ll most often find all the B vitamins combined as a B-complex. Alternatively, you can take individual B vitamin supplements, but this isn’t usually necessary. The exceptions are if you know you’re deficient in certain ones or want to maximize a specific B vitamin and not the others. 

It’s also worth noting that if you choose to take a daily multivitamin with minerals, it likely contains all the B vitamins.

Risks of Taking B Vitamin Supplements

Risks of potentially overdosing on B vitamins are usually associated with taking too many B vitamin supplements, not with eating too many foods rich in them. And in general, risks associated with taking B vitamin supplements are rare because of their water-soluble nature. If you consume too much, your body will eliminate the excess through urine. Despite this built-in “overflow mechanism,” an overdose of B-complex is possible and may result in symptoms like excessive thirst, skin rashes or flushing, blurred vision, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, increased urination, and diarrhea.

It’s also worth addressing niacin (vitamin B3) specifically, since it was historically prescribed at high pharmacological doses to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. At those levels, a common side effect is the “niacin flush” — a reddening of the skin, often around the face and neck, typically appearing within 30 minutes of ingestion. 

While the flush itself is not dangerous, high-dose niacin carries more serious concerns. As we’ve seen, excess niacin may increase cardiovascular risk. For this reason, high-dose niacin supplementation should only be pursued under the direct supervision of a healthcare provider, and for most people with high cholesterol, other evidence-based options are now preferred. Again, there’s no need to worry about overdosing on niacin from brown rice or lentils; food-sourced B3 doesn’t carry these risks. As a side note, many internet sites recommend the niacin flush as a strategy to pass a drug test if you’d otherwise test positive for THC (the active ingredient in marijuana). Let me save you some time: It doesn’t work. (I say this as a student of research, and not from personal experience.)

One more oddity: People who take supplemental B2 (riboflavin) may find that they develop abnormally bright or neon yellow urine. If this happens to you, don’t worry. You aren’t necessarily dehydrated, and you certainly aren’t in danger of turning yellow. Your body is just excreting some of the riboflavin that it doesn’t need. Just pretend you’re a human highlighter or superhero from the planet Neon.

Testing for Deficiency

If you’re experiencing symptoms that might signal a B vitamin deficiency — like unusual fatigue, a skin rash, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, tongue inflammation, or signs of anemia — it’s worth talking to your healthcare provider. A simple blood test can check your levels of specific B vitamins, and a 24-hour urine test is sometimes used as well. These tests can confirm whether a deficiency exists, though they can’t always tell you whether the cause is dietary or related to absorption problems. Either way, they give your healthcare provider a starting point for figuring out the right approach.

Some people are at higher risk for B vitamin deficiencies and may want to discuss testing proactively, even without obvious symptoms. This includes people with a history of heavy alcohol use, malabsorption conditions like Crohn’s disease or celiac disease, those who have had bariatric surgery, older adults, and people eating a fully plant-based diet, particularly regarding B12.

It’s also worth knowing that doctors sometimes skip formal testing when symptoms and context make a deficiency highly likely and simply recommend supplementation to see if things improve. If they do, that’s useful information in itself.

Vitamin B-Strong Recipes

With the exception of B12, getting plenty of B vitamins on a plant-based diet can be easy when you add a variety of whole, healing plant-based foods to your plate. Mushrooms may not shout “we’re good for you” as loudly as kale, but they sure do pack a lot of nutrition, including several B vitamins. Add fortified nutritional yeast and whole grain breadcrumbs to Super Stuffed Mushrooms, and you get a B vitamin smorgasbord! 

Sweet and Savory African Soup — is it soup or breakfast? The truth of the matter is that we like to enjoy this B-vitamin-rich soup for dinner, then devour the tasty leftovers for breakfast (because it gets even better overnight!). So, it’s your choice; enjoy it for soup, breakfast, or any time of the day. 

Finally, B vitamins never tasted as good as they do in the Chunky Monkey Smoothie. Chocolate and vitamins? Who knew!

1. Super Stuffed Mushrooms

Starting with the superstar mushroom, you get a rich source of B vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. Add nutritional yeast for B12 (if it’s fortified). Then get even more B vitamins by using whole grain bread for breadcrumbs, which provide folate and thiamine. This appetizer is not only tasty but it’s also a B-vitamin jamboree!

2. Sweet and Savory African Peanut Soup

What’s in this soup that doesn’t contain an abundance of B vitamins? Not much! Peanut butter, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and spinach all provide a variety of B vitamins to support brain health, heart health, cancer prevention, and mood. Plus, it is pretty delicious!

3. Chunky Monkey Smoothie

Vitamins never tasted so good! Getting your daily dose of B vitamins in a healthy, indulgent smoothie might be the most fun and delicious way to support brain, heart, and skin health. You’d never know that leafy greens snuck their way into this creamy chocolate-y blend!

B Vitamins Can Be Easy

B vitamins are important to just about every system in your body. And they’re protective against common and potentially lethal chronic diseases, as well as important for a healthy pregnancy, for hormone production, and for your hair, skin, and nails. While all the B vitamins can be found in whole foods, a few people may struggle to get enough of them. However, avoiding deficiency is relatively easy with testing when indicated and, in some cases, by adding appropriate supplements. Hopefully, this article has helped you to B proactive with your wellbeing!

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you take B-complex or any individual B vitamin supplements?
• Have you ever experienced a deficiency in any of the B vitamins? What did that look like for you?
• Where do you find B vitamins in your diet?

Feature image: iStock.com/OksanaKiian

Read Next:

• Vitamin B12: Why it’s Important and How to Avoid B12 Deficiency
• Folate (B9): What It Is, Where to Get it, and Why Folate is Different from Folic Acid
• How to Get Maximal Nutrition from Your Food: Putting Food Combining, Sourcing, & Preparation Methods to Work for You

The post What B Vitamins Do You Need — And What Are The Best Sources? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

I’m not saying those questions aren’t important, but they all miss the one nutrient critical to a healthy life that almost everyone is deficient in: fiber

Are you getting enough fiber? It depends on what you eat, of course. But in the words of Toy Story’s Magic 8 Ball, “don’t count on it.” Fewer than 10% of U.S. women and 3% of U.S. men get the recommended amount of fiber. In the U.K., more than 9 out of 10 adults fall short.

In places where people still eat relatively traditional diets, like many of the Blue Zones that are home to some of the planet’s longest-lived peoples, eating fiber-rich foods is par for the course. In fact, it may well be that fiber is a major factor in the longevity of Blue Zone residents.

A meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who consumed the most fiber were 16% less likely to die during the following ten years, compared to those who ate the least.

Researchers analyzed 17 studies that included nearly a million participants and found that every 10 grams of fiber consumed per day cut mortality risk by 10%. To put that amount in perspective, one small cherry tomato weighs roughly 10 grams, according to my kitchen scale. 

But why is fiber good for you? How can it benefit your health? How much fiber do you need daily? And how can you ensure you’re getting enough fiber in your diet?

What Is Fiber, Exactly?

Fiber provides structure to plant cell walls, functioning kind of like a skeleton. When you eat plants, your body does a great job of extracting macro and micronutrients, but it doesn’t manufacture the digestive enzymes needed to break down fiber. So that fiber passes through your digestive system intact.

That might sound like an argument for fiber being unnecessary, or even a problem. But wait — there’s more to the story. A lot more.

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Each performs a different job in your body. 

Soluble fiber dissolves into a gel in your digestive tract with the addition of water. It slows down digestion, which helps with blood sugar balance and cholesterol levels, as well as nutrient absorption. Good amounts of soluble fiber are found in foods like whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, as well as some fruits and vegetables. 

Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stools and acts like a broom, cleaning out your digestive tract. It promotes healthy bowel movements and also helps with insulin sensitivity. You can find good amounts of insoluble fiber in whole grains, vegetables, and wheat bran.

Both soluble and insoluble fiber are found naturally, to varying degrees, in all unrefined plant foods. Meat, dairy products, fish, eggs, added sugars, and oils, however, don’t contain any fiber. And processed foods made with refined flour generally contain very little, if any, because natural fiber is lost or removed in their manufacture.

Prebiotics and Resistant Starch

Soluble fiber does more than regulate the traffic in your digestive tract. While your body doesn’t have the digestive enzymes that can break it down into useful compounds, it “knows a guy.” Specifically, your gut is host to a veritable universe of bacteria, collectively known as your microbiome.

Like any universe, your microbiome includes many different characters; some helpful, some neutral, and some downright dangerous. Beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics, have the tools to metabolize fiber for energy. In that process, they also produce a wide range of compounds that are crucial to your health that you can’t make without them.

Prebiotics fall under the umbrella of soluble fiber and also serve as food for those beneficial “probiotic” gut bacteria. Prebiotic-rich foods include things like jicama, allium vegetables, legumes, and leafy greens.

Resistant starch is a type of indigestible, fermentable carbohydrate that also serves as a prebiotic. Whole grains, potatoes cooled after cooking (hello, potato salad!), and green bananas are all good sources of resistant starch. This type of starch improves insulin sensitivity and promotes the production of short-chain fatty acids in the gut, which keep your gut and immune system healthy. These fatty acids also circulate throughout your body, communicating with your cells and tissues to help regulate inflammation and promote healing.

Benefits of Fiber

The evidence for the health benefits of fiber is overwhelming. Let’s explore some of it here.

Fiber and Gut Health 

Does fiber help you poop? Yes, it does! And being able to do so daily is more important than you might think. Constipation is not only uncomfortable, but it may also increase your risk for chronic diseases like cancer, hormonal imbalances, and even cardiovascular disease.

By speeding things along, fiber helps eliminate toxins from your digestive tract. The longer those toxins hang around, the more likely they are to be reabsorbed into your body through your intestines and wreak havoc on your health.

Fiber also benefits your digestive system by improving the composition of your microbiome. As we saw, certain fiber-filled foods are also prebiotics that feed your population of good gut bacteria. Increasing your fiber intake can alter your microbiota in as little as two weeks, enabling those beneficial bacteria to crowd out any “bad guys“ that could be causing gastrointestinal and other health issues.

Does Fiber Help You Lose Weight?

Consuming more fiber can indeed support weight loss. A 2019 study, the POUNDS Lost Study, asked overweight and obese participants to follow a reduced-calorie diet that provided at least 20 grams of fiber per day.

That number is worth putting in context. It’s well below the 25–40 grams per day recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine (the range depending on age and sex), but it’s significantly more than most Americans currently eat. So even that modest target represented a meaningful dietary shift for most participants.

Fewer than half of the participants consistently hit the 20-gram mark — those who did lost about 3 more pounds than those who fell short. One likely reason is that adequate fiber helped them more easily stick to their calorie targets.

So why does fiber help with weight management? A big part of the answer is satiety. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the gut and forms a gel-like substance that slows the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream and activates stretch receptors in your stomach. This is the physical signal that tells your brain you’ve eaten enough.

Fiber-rich whole foods reinforce this effect in another way. Compared to animal products and processed foods, whole plant foods tend to be higher in water and lower in fat, which means they deliver fewer calories per bite. You end up eating a satisfying volume of food while taking in fewer calories overall — and your stretch receptors do the rest, sending the message to your brain that it’s time to stop.

Fiber and Cancer Prevention

Fiber is an essential part of your waste removal system, constantly eliminating carcinogens before they become a problem. For instance, fiber works to prevent colorectal cancer by improving intestinal transit time — literally sweeping away carcinogens.

In a study at the National Cancer Institute called the Polyp Prevention Trial (PPT), published in the Journal of Nutrition, participants were put on a low-fat, high-fiber diet high in fruits and vegetables. Researchers focused on the recurrence of colorectal adenomas (polyps), viewing them as precursors or early warning signs of cancers that might take years or decades to show up clinically. 

After adjusting for variables, it was found that the one food that made a difference in whether or not participants had a recurrence of adenomas was the amount of beans they consumed. The researchers note that for most study participants, beans were their primary source of dietary fiber. 

Fiber’s anticancer benefits don’t stop at colorectal cancer. It also reduces the risk of cancers of the breast, prostate, mouth, and throat. A meta-analysis published in the BMJ found that every 10 grams of fiber consumed daily is associated with a 10% reduced risk of colorectal cancer, and a separate meta-analysis in the Annals of Oncology found the same 10-gram increase linked to a 5% reduction in breast cancer risk.

But perhaps the most striking finding comes from a long-term study published in Pediatrics that followed over 90,000 women for 20 years. It found that what you eat as a teenager and young adult may shape your breast cancer risk for the rest of your life. Women who consumed the most fiber during adolescence and early adulthood — around 20 grams or more per day — had a 24% lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause. Every additional 10 grams of daily fiber in early adulthood was associated with a 13% further reduction in risk. And the women with the highest overall fiber intake reduced their lifetime breast cancer risk by 16%.

In other words, this isn’t just advice for adults trying to course-correct. If you have daughters, nieces, or young women in your life, or you are a young woman yourself, this is worth sharing and taking to heart.

Is Fiber Good for Your Heart?

Many cardiologists recommend eating oatmeal for breakfast. Their #1 reason? Oatmeal is a rich source of soluble fiber, and studies have found that it has a positive impact on cholesterol.

In fact, a review and meta-analysis of 22 different studies found that the more fiber people ate, the lower their risk of both cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease. 

One possible way dietary fiber achieves these effects might be its ability to reduce systemic inflammation markers associated with cardiovascular disease and other diseases. Its impact on inflammation is important for heart health because inflammation may be a risk factor for high blood pressure.

Fiber and Blood Sugar

Fiber helps regulate blood sugar. This is one of the reasons that many dietitians and other lifestyle medicine practitioners recommend that people with type 2 diabetes consume beans and other legumes. These high-fiber powerhouses help slow glucose absorption while regulating blood sugar over time.

In a study published in Nutrition Journal, researchers compared the glycemic response of traditional bean-and-rice meals with rice alone.

Seventeen men and women with diabetes were given either plain white rice, white rice with black beans, white rice with pinto beans, or white rice with red kidney beans. Then, researchers measured their blood glucose at 90, 120, and 150 minutes.

When they ate beans with their rice, the participants exhibited better blood sugar control. This makes sense, considering that beans and other legumes are good sources of resistant starch, which can improve insulin sensitivity and prime the body to move glucose from the blood into cells, where it can be stored or used.

So, whether you have type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or just want to have a steadier blood sugar balance and improved insulin sensitivity, a high-fiber, plant-powered diet that includes beans may help you feel your best.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Dietary guidelines for fiber vary, but most countries and professional health agencies recommend intakes between 25 and 35 grams per day for adults. Although the U.S. updated its daily fiber reference value in 2016 from 25 to 28 grams per day for a 2,000-calorie diet — based on the long-standing standard of 14 grams per 1,000 calories — most adults are still getting only about half that amount daily.

While 28 grams of fiber would obviously be a step in the right direction, some experts believe we should aim much higher. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s (PCRM) fiber recommendation, for example, is 40 grams per day. 

Even that goal falls short of the 100-gram-a-day average that some researchers believe our ancestors may have been eating. They weren’t tracking their fiber intake on an app or hunting it down at a health food store. It was simply the tax they paid for eating wild plants. In those days, undomesticated fruits, veggies, and tubers were much tougher and woodier than the tender, sugary versions we find in modern supermarkets. 

And in the absence of fancy kitchen gadgets, our progenitors often consumed the skin, seeds, and stems of these plants. Long story short: To get enough calories from plants, they had to eat massive volumes, which naturally brought a tidal wave of fiber into their digestive tract.

I don’t necessarily recommend eating twigs and banana peels to achieve those 100 grams a day. But if you’re eating the way most people do in the industrialized world, you could probably do with more fiber in your diet. 

What Are the Best High Fiber Foods?

Now that you know the health benefits of getting enough fiber, what are some of the best fiber-rich foods you should be eating?  

Given that fiber is best found in its natural state and fiber is found only in plant foods, fill your plate with fiber-rich foods, such as:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Beans and other legumes
• Whole grains
• Nuts and seeds

You can buy fiber supplements, which are probably better than nothing if your diet is largely devoid of fiber. That said, in most cases, they’re likely to be of limited value compared to whole plant foods, since they’re missing the beneficial vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals also found in those foods.

This infographic, which is by no means comprehensive, can help you start your quest to find high-fiber foods.

How to Get Enough Fiber in Your Diet 

Here are some easy ways to add more fiber to your diet:

• Choose whole grains instead of white bread and white flour products
• Choose beans over beef (or any other animal product)
• Double your veggie sides: Pile vegetables on your plate before you add anything else
• Start your day with oatmeal and berries instead of eggs, bacon, or commercial breakfast cereals 
• Snack on fiber-rich foods, such as pears, sliced apples with peanut butter, or veggies and hummus
• Skip or reduce your consumption of meat, dairy, and processed foods like cookies, crackers, chips, and sodas

Specific foods vary in fiber content, but to gauge how much fiber to eat, it can be helpful to estimate the number of grams of fiber in different food groups.

The PCRM offers this information in a handy chart.

To understand how much fiber you’re getting, here’s what you can do: Write down everything you eat and drink for one day and jot down your fiber score according to this chart.  

You’ll notice that if your diet is made primarily from whole plant foods and includes plenty of beans, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables, you’re probably getting a good amount of fiber.

However, if you’re eating meat, dairy, and processed foods — like white bread, cookies, crackers, chips, and soda — it can be challenging to achieve the goal of 40 grams, or even 28 grams, of fiber per day.

How to Understand What Your Fiber Score Means

Less than 20 grams of fiber per day

Your score is pretty typical for most modern industrialized nations, but it’s not doing your health any favors.

With less than 20 grams of fiber per day, you may be hungry often and have trouble with constipation and other digestive issues. At this level, the risk for certain chronic diseases, including heart disease and some forms of cancer, is also increased.

But the good news is, it’s easy to change all this by incorporating more fiber-rich foods into your diet!

20–39 grams of fiber per day

You’re getting more than many people eating the standard American diet, but you may still have room for improvement.

Focus on crowding out foods that contain little to no fiber by adding more fiber superstars to your meals — like beans and lentils. By doing so, you’ll probably find that you feel more satisfied and that maintaining a healthy weight becomes easier. Plus, you’ll further reduce your risk of chronic diseases and early mortality.

40+ grams of fiber per day

Your diet is loaded with fiber-rich whole plant foods. You’re in the tiny fraction of the population that is actually getting PCRM’s recommended amount of fiber. Way to go!

A Fiber-Rich Meal Plan

What does high-fiber eating look like?

If most people eat less than the recommended amount of fiber per day, you may be thinking, “How am I going to eat 40 or more grams of fiber (or even 28 grams) per day?” 

It’s easier than you think. Here’s what a typical day might look like:

Breakfast: Buckwheat Chia Pancakes: 13 grams from the buckwheat + 2 grams from the chia + 1 gram from the mashed banana = 16 grams 

Lunch: Avocado Salad: 4 ½ grams from the avocado + 4 grams from the black beans + 2 grams from the arugula, tomato, onion and cilantro = 10.5 grams 

Snack: Moroccan Baked Chickpeas: = 7 grams 

Dinner: Vegan Mince Lettuce Tacos: 6 grams from the lentils + 3 grams from the veggies, including romaine lettuce shells = 9 grams

Total Fiber: 42.5 (Ding ding ding, we have a winner!)

Take Action for Your Health: Fiber Challenge

Now that you know why fiber is so good for you and how to get enough fiber in your diet, team up with a friend or family member and challenge yourself and each other to reach 40 grams of fiber per day consistently. 

If you’re new to eating a lot of fiber, be sure to add it to your diet slowly, because increasing your fiber intake too quickly can cause bloating and gas or other negative side effects. It’s also important to drink plenty of water while increasing your consumption of fiber-rich foods. When you increase gradually and allow your body to become used to the increase in fiber, you probably won’t experience any discomfort.

Fiber may be the least glamorous nutrient in the conversation about healthy eating. No one (except maybe yours truly!) is writing breathless headlines about their high-fiber diet. But the evidence is hard to argue with. Better digestion, lower cancer risk, a healthier heart, steadier blood sugar, and a longer life. All from eating more plants. Take the 40-gram challenge, add it gradually, drink plenty of water, and see how you feel. The results might surprise you.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you get enough fiber?
• What’s one simple change can you make today to start incorporating more fiber into your diet?
• What benefits have you noticed from adding more fiber to your diet?

Featured Image: iStock.com/apomares

Read Next:

• Are Starches Good or Bad?
• 5 Common Mistakes Plant-Based Eaters Make and How to Avoid Them
• Plant-Based Protein: The Best Sources & How Much You Actually Need

The post Why Is Fiber Good For You? (And How To Get Enough Fiber!) appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

When I first heard about hydrogen water, I was skeptical. Proponents claimed that adding molecular hydrogen to water reduces oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, boosts athletic performance, enhances muscle recovery, slows the aging process, and improves metabolic, heart, and brain health.

Frankly, some of the claims seemed too good to be true. And I’m usually pretty suspicious of unverified wellness products advertised online.

So I did some digging and was surprised to learn that there’s a lot of solid science about hydrogen water and its potential health benefits. In this article, I share what I’ve discovered.

We’ll look at the various processes for making hydrogen water. We’ll explore what science has discovered about its effects on the human body, distinguishing real evidence from marketing exaggeration. And we’ll see how to avoid getting scammed when shopping for a hydrogen water generator.

What’s the Interest in Hydrogen Water All About?

Molecular hydrogen has become a genuinely hot topic in the scientific community. Researchers are exploring its potential across a surprisingly broad range of fields, from boosting sports and exercise physiology to improving metabolic health, and even tackling fundamental problems like oxidative stress and inflammation biology.

But what makes H₂ such a special antioxidant molecule? Unlike other antioxidants, H₂ is very tiny and electrically neutral, which means it can zip around where other molecules can’t go. 

Once it finds its way into your tissues and cells, it gets infused rapidly and performs what scientists call selective redox effects. That is, it somehow neutralizes harmful free radicals without affecting beneficial ones.

Of course, drinking enough water in itself is crucial for all aspects of your health, from detoxification to metabolism. But hydrogen-rich water (which we’ll abbreviate as HRW from here on) goes far beyond basic hydration. As we’ll see in placebo-controlled trials (since HRW looks and tastes the same as regular water, it’s really easy to give people a placebo), the hydrogen itself may be providing effects that plain water simply doesn’t offer.

What Is Hydrogen Water?

So what exactly is HRW? It’s water enriched with dissolved molecular hydrogen gas (H₂). 

If you paid attention in science class, you may recall that water — aka H₂O — already contains hydrogen. In regular water, though, those hydrogen atoms are chemically bound to oxygen. 

HRW, on the other hand, contains additional, free molecular hydrogen gas that’s dissolved in the liquid. This means the H₂ remains unbound and doesn’t alter the chemical structure of the water itself. 

Crucially, its tiny size allows it to diffuse rapidly through your tissues after ingestion. It’s the free-floating gas, not the water’s chemical makeup, that provides HRW’s unique effects.

You may have heard about other “health waters,” like alkaline water or structured water. These are completely different from HRW. 

Alkaline water has a higher pH than regular drinking water. It’s made by adding minerals or using a water ionizer. Alkalizing doesn’t change the water’s hydrogen content.

Alkaline water is often marketed with big health claims, but there is little to no research showing meaningful benefits. That may be because your stomach’s strong acids quickly neutralize its alkalinity, so it doesn’t have the chance to change your body’s overall pH. (That’s a great example of your body working hard to maintain homeostasis, since its pH must remain in a very tight zone for survival.)

Structured water, also known as magnetized, hexagonal, or revitalized water, is promoted as having a different molecular structure than normal water — one that provides health benefits. While structured water may have the best of intentions, there is little, if any, credible research to back up its efficacy. 

By contrast, HRW has a more or less neutral pH. Any potential benefit comes from the hydrogen gas itself, not from making the water alkaline, or from creating special clusters, hexagons, or other structures. It’s just regular water that contains and thus delivers dissolved hydrogen gas.

How Hydrogen Water Is Made

There are several different methods for getting molecular hydrogen gas into water.

Electrolysis

PEM and SPE systems use electricity to isolate some of the hydrogen that’s already in H₂O and then dissolve it back into the water. PEM stands for Proton (or Polymer) Exchange Membrane, and SPE stands for Solid Polymer Electrolyte. Both methods are efficient and make hydrogen with high purity. That is, they don’t add unwanted byproducts (like ozone or chlorine) to the water. 

Many systems sold for home use are PEM or SPE electrolysis systems. They can produce consistent HRW by using a small amount of electricity.

Magnesium Stick

The magnesium stick method relies on a chemical reaction between metal and water to extract and isolate hydrogen. It doesn’t use electricity, which makes it more portable to operate. 

There are some downsides to this method. Hydrogen levels can vary, and the rate of the chemical reaction slows over time. The end product isn’t as pure as the electrolysis process; the water ends up more alkaline, with some magnesium residue left behind. These aren’t necessarily problems, but they aren’t the intended outcome.

Gas Infusion

This method bubbles pure hydrogen gas directly into water. It’s straightforward and doesn’t require splitting water with electricity or any chemical reactions. It doesn’t add any minerals or residues, change the water pH, or create oxidants. It’s the most direct and controllable way to make HRW. 

It requires a supply of hydrogen gas on hand, which is more challenging than you might think, given that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the known universe. It’s actually rare to find it in the form of pure H₂ gas, so it has to be synthesized via an industrial process involving steam, methane gas, and carbon monoxide — pretty much the poster child for a do-not-try-this-at-home activity.

Hydrogen Tablets

If you’ve ever taken Alka-Seltzer for indigestion (or seen one of their commercials), you’ll be familiar with the concept of adding hydrogen to water in tablet form. You just drop the tablets into a glass of water and watch them fizz, releasing molecular hydrogen gas. 

Health Benefits of HRW

As a potential “mighty mouse” antioxidant, HRW has shown promise as a therapy and preventive for a wide variety of conditions. It can neutralize some harmful free radicals, calm down inflammation-related signaling pathways, and support cells as they respond to stressors. And because the H₂ molecule is so tiny, it can rapidly diffuse in tissues and cells.

HRW has shown promise in improving exercise performance, boosting immune function, and fighting against some common chronic diseases. 

Exercise Performance and Fatigue

Drinking hydrogen‑rich water can reduce exercise‑related fatigue and improve athletic endurance.

A 2012 study of young male soccer players explored whether HRW could reduce muscle fatigue during hard exercise. The subjects performed hard cycling and knee exercises while the researchers measured muscle strength, blood lactate (a marker of muscle fatigue), and oxidative stress. When athletes drank HRW, their blood lactate levels remained lower during heavy exercise, leading to less fatigue and improved short-term physical capacity. 

A 2019 placebo-controlled study asked trained athletes and non-athletes to ride stationary bicycles and then measured their performance and fatigue levels. In both groups, people who drank HRW before exercising reported feeling less tired than those given regular water. In addition, the trained athletes who drank HRW were able to exercise longer and harder. The researchers theorize that HRW might accomplish this by neutralizing free radicals that build up in muscles during physical activity. 

Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Multiple scientific studies show that HRW can reduce oxidative stress or at least influence antioxidant pathways in ways that reduce inflammation and inflammatory signaling.

A 2020 study explored whether HRW could help reduce stress in the body caused by harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species and if it could improve the immune system. Healthy adults aged 20 to 60 were asked to drink 1.5 liters of either regular water or HRW daily for 4 weeks. 

In people over 30 years old, drinking hydrogen-rich water improved their antioxidant stress markers more than regular water did. Also, the people who drank the hydrogen water had fewer dying blood cells and showed less activity in genes that cause inflammation. 

A 2020 randomized controlled trial of adults with chronic hepatitis B found that adding about 1–2 liters of HRW a day for four weeks to their regular treatment significantly improved oxidative stress markers compared with patients who did not receive the HRW. Plus, the liver function of the HRW drinkers improved.

Chronic Disease Treatment and Prevention

A 2010 open-label study (meaning that there was no control group receiving a placebo) asked people with potential metabolic syndrome to drink between 1.5 and 2 liters of HRW a day for 8 weeks. Results showed a big increase in superoxide dismutase, an antioxidant enzyme that helps reduce tissue and cell damage. In fact, markers of oxidative damage measured in the participants’ urine dropped by a staggering 43%.

What’s more, their lipid profiles improved (higher HDL and lower LDL and overall cholesterol), as did their liver function. The benefits were most striking among smokers, who are likely to have more oxidative stress and therefore gain more from antioxidant interventions.

In a 24-week randomized trial published in 2020, people with metabolic syndrome who received high-concentration HRW showed measurable improvements in several biomarkers associated with metabolic health. Their blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels went down (by a lot, actually), inflammation markers decreased, and their bodies managed oxidative stress better (which means less damage from harmful molecules). They also saw small reductions in body weight and waist size.

A 2025 review looked at the promise of HRW therapy for the treatment of kidney diseases. It found that the HRW can protect against inflammation, apoptosis (programmed cell death), and fibrosis (accumulation of scar tissue) in both acute and early chronic kidney disease models.

A systematic review of HRW provocatively titled “Hydrogen Water: Extra Healthy or a Hoax?” was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in 2024. The conclusion? Yes, research actually shows potential benefits of HRW across a wide range of health domains, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory diseases. 

Case Studies: Promising Glimpses in Complex Illnesses

Beyond the large trials, anecdotal clinical evidence offers hints of HRW’s potential benefits in the most complex cases, such as in people with multiple conditions and chronic immune-mediated diseases. 

A 2016 case study highlighted a patient with severe chronic graft-versus-host disease — an immune-mediated condition that can affect people after a stem cell or bone marrow transplant — responding positively to hydrogen-rich water therapy. They reported a higher quality of life, had their immunosuppressive drug doses reduced, and experienced fewer disease-related symptoms. 

Another case report, this one published in 2025, documented notable improvements in an elderly patient battling a host of serious issues, including type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus. This patient was treated with hydrogen capsules rather than through HRW, and saw improvements in kidney function and reduced fatigue. 

Is Hydrogen Water Safe?

Hydrogen is the primary fuel for the sun, so it clearly has explosive potential. But there appears to be nothing dangerous about hydrogen when delivered in drinking water. Molecular hydrogen is a naturally occurring gas and is considered non-toxic. It doesn’t interfere with normal bodily functions. It’s been studied extensively in medical and research settings, and no negative side effects or contraindications have been found. 

Even direct inhalation of hydrogen at controlled levels has been well tolerated. In fact, hydrogen gas was used safely for decades in specialized environments like deep-sea diving, where it was found to make deeper dives safer. And drinking HRW delivers far less hydrogen than those administered to the deep-sea divers. 

Practical Tips

HRW looks like a safe way to support the immune system, reduce chronic inflammation, support metabolic health, and aid in athletic performance and recovery. But there are a couple of things to keep in mind to get maximum benefit from hydrogen water. 

First, various delivery systems and HRW products can give you wildly different concentrations of molecular hydrogen. Comparison studies have found that HRW can range from very low concentrations in poorly stored bottles to much higher concentrations in freshly prepared solutions. And different technologies also contribute to different levels.

Commercially prepared hydrogen water that’s consumed long after the hydrogen was added has been found to contain the lowest concentrations, often less than 1 part per million (ppm). Similarly unimpressive are low-end portable HRW bottles, which also don’t deliver more than 1 ppm. High-end portable bottles are far more effective, with their water achieving 2–3.5 ppm (1.6 is generally considered an effective amount for general health and performance, though more may be even better). 

The highest concentrations are provided by hydrogen tablets, which are dissolved in water and drunk within minutes, reaching up to 8-10 ppm.

Regardless of the process used to convert hydrogen gas into water, the gas dissipates quickly. So, for the greatest benefit, drink it soon after the gas has been generated. 

How to Get Hydrogen Water

There are a few ways for consumers to get hydrogen water. 

Commercial Machines

There are commercial HRW machines built for high-volume or continuous use, such as those used in clinics, gyms, and offices. If you and your family expect to be heavy users, this might be a good choice. 

These machines typically use PEM electrolysis and are available as countertop, under-sink, and dispenser systems. 

While some machines advertise very high ppm values, there’s a scientific reality check you need to know to avoid marketing exaggeration. The true, stable maximum amount of hydrogen gas that can dissolve into water at room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure (what scientists call equilibrium saturation) is only about 1.6 ppm. So, if you see claims for much higher numbers, just know that they often reflect short-lived values right after generation, or a pressured environment. And they may be real, if you drink the water right away.

Portable Hydrogen Water Devices

Many companies make personal-use, on-the-go tools that generate HRW. Their form factors include bottles, cups, tablets, and sticks. The bottles and cups use either battery-powered electrolysis or magnesium reactions. The water they produce is intended for more-or-less immediate consumption to mitigate the effects of hydrogen loss over time. 

The Bottom Line

Hydrogen water is a real thing — although there’s a lot more research to be done. The current, peer-reviewed evidence clearly supports its ability to act as an antioxidant and to produce anti-inflammatory effects, with possible benefits for metabolic health and exercise recovery markers. 

As always, be skeptical of extravagant claims that aren’t backed by good science, and remember that, as compelling as some of the emerging evidence is, HRW should be considered an addition to a healthy lifestyle, not a replacement.

Tell us in the comments:

• How much water do you drink regularly? 
• Have you tried hydrogen-rich water? If so, in what format?
• Would you consider adding HRW to your wellness stack?

Read Next:

• Healthy Morning Drinks to Start Your Day Off Right

The post Hydrogen Water: A Guide to Its Health Benefits & the Truth appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

It’s time to peel back the wrapper and explore the world of chewing gum: the surprisingly unnatural ingredients, the actual health effects (both good and bad news here), and the sticky environmental footprint of our love of chewing. We’ll also take a look at natural alternatives and see if there are “good gums” out there whose benefits more than outweigh their downsides. 

A Brief History of Chewing Gum

The headline that alerted me to the fact that gum chewing isn’t a recent fad comes from the Smithsonian magazine: “Ancient DNA Reveals That a Teenage Girl Chewed on This Wad of ‘Gum’ 10,500 Years Ago.” DNA preserved in the gum, which was tar from a birch tree, told the archeologists who discovered it in present-day Estonia that the chewer probably had brown hair and brown eyes. A similar find in Denmark, dated 5,700 years ago, also preserved bits of the gum chewer’s previous meal, including hazelnuts. Researchers surmise that people chewed the birch tar and other plant gums for breath freshening, dental cleaning, and other medicinal purposes. 

In Mesoamerica, Indigenous peoples have traditionally chewed chicle, a natural latex from the sapodilla tree, for similar reasons, including oral hygiene, thirst relief, hunger suppression, and taste. Indigenous peoples of North America have long favored spruce and other tree resins for their satisfying taste, texture, and oral health benefits. 

The story of chewing gum’s commercialization is part comedy, part tragedy. The story is too juicy and complicated to cover here in all its gory detail, but I have to share some highlights. 

General Antonio López de Santa Anna, ex-president of Mexico and the guy whose actions Texans remember when they “Remember the Alamo,” was living in obscure exile in Staten Island, New York, trying to figure out how to regain his fortune and influence. He saw the burgeoning automobile industry and thought that the chicle from the sapodilla tree in his native country could make tires that would rival those manufactured by Goodyear. (And in what was either great foresight or a very strange way to pack, he had brought a large amount of chicle with him into exile.)

A local inventor, Thomas Adams, tried to turn the gum into suitable tire rubber, but got nowhere. Finally, he gave up and started selling flavored chicle gum to candy shops instead. Soon, the candy coating was added, the process was mechanized, and voilà — Chiclets!

In the first half of the 20th century, careless tapping of Mexico’s sapodilla trees left them vulnerable to insects, bacteria, and fungi. This unsustainable extraction disrupted ecosystems and put the sapodilla forests on a path to extinction. So by the mid-20th century, gum manufacturers replaced chicle with synthetic polymers, saving trees, lowering prices, and improving gum’s quality and consistency.

What’s in Most Chewing Gum Today?

Modern gum contains a mixture of synthetic and natural ingredients. The most-consumed (chewed?) brands typically use lab-created chemicals like polyisobutylene and butyl rubber, which have structures and properties similar to plastics. Some niche gum manufacturers still use chicle and other natural resins.

Sweeteners

Originally, chewing gum was sweetened with refined sugar. While you can still find sugar-sweetened gum, it’s clear that this is terrible for dental health. In most brands, sugar has been replaced by artificial sweeteners like aspartame and acesulfame-K, and/or sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol, and erythritol. Xylitol in particular may support dental health; it has an alkalizing effect and may help prevent cavities. 

Flavorings and Colors

These may be natural or artificial. Many gums use encapsulated flavors and timed-release sweeteners so they last longer when you chew them.

Softeners and Stabilizers

These additives make gum softer and more flexible, which improves mouthfeel. They can be natural or synthetic; for an overwhelmingly comprehensive list of these chemicals, check out the US Code of Federal Regulations’ thrilling, edge-of-your-seat section on allowable chewing gum ingredients. 

Unlike foods, the disclosure of gum ingredients is often vague. This means it’s hard to know what’s in our gum, masking environmental costs, including microplastic content.

Potential Health Benefits

Despite its questionable ingredients, chewing gum can provide a number of benefits to your health, focus, and mood.

Oral Health

Saliva is good for your teeth. It supports healthy oral pH by buffering acids and “clearing the palate” of any plaque-promoting food particles. And the act of chewing gum can boost saliva flow by 10 times.

Sugar-free gum flavored with xylitol, in particular, can help reduce plaque and cavity-causing bacteria. It turns out that xylitol plays an active role by essentially starving harmful bacteria like Streptococcus mutans that cannot digest it. This process makes plaque less sticky and helps your saliva keep minerals in your enamel, allowing your teeth to stay strong and repair themselves more effectively. This is why research often shows that habitual gum chewing with a high concentration of xylitol provides long-term protection against tooth decay.

Cognitive and Emotional Benefits

The very act of chewing may deliver positive neurological effects. When you chew, your cerebral blood flow increases, which increases activity in the prefrontal and limbic regions of your brain. These changes support your executive function, which includes planning, focusing your attention, remembering instructions, and juggling multiple tasks successfully — basically, all the things that help you achieve long-term goals.

Chewing may also support emotional regulation, helping to reduce stress and improve mood, by affecting the hippocampus and the circuits in the body and brain that manage stress. A 2009 study found that chewing gum while doing stressful tasks led participants to self-report less anxiety and stress. And it wasn’t “all in their heads.” Levels of salivary cortisol, a biomarker of stress, also dropped. Plus, their performance on the tasks improved when they were chewing.

I was curious about what “stressful tasks” the participants were asked to perform, so I dove into the study design. The activities included mental math, memory challenges, visual tracking of a dot inside a series of concentric circles, and the “Stroop test” (if you like, you can try it yourself. It’s kind of fun!). 

Interestingly, the effect was most pronounced when participants chewed gum for 5 minutes before performing a stressful task, with the benefits lasting for around 15–20 minutes. Chewing gum during the tests didn’t improve performance. 

The takeaway from this study? Proactively chewing gum might be a simple and convenient way to fight stress, boost your mood, and keep your brain sharp when life is about to throw its version of the Stroop test at you.

Appetite and Cravings

Chewing gum might be a useful tool to combat overeating. A 2011 study found that chewing gum following a meal reduced hunger and cravings for both sweet and salty snacks. It also led to about a 10% drop in the amount of snack food eaten later, compared to when no gum was chewed.

A 2025 meta-analysis confirmed that chewing gum reduces hunger and cravings but doesn’t consistently lead to weight loss. Interestingly, researchers have explored whether gum chewing after bowel or cesarean surgery can support recovery by mimicking eating, with some studies showing that patients who chewed gum recovered bowel function slightly faster.

Potential Risks and Downsides

There are some real benefits to chewing gum. But depending on the type of gum, there are also some real downsides.

Microplastic Consumption 

Given that most modern chewing gum is made from petroleum and has a chemical structure similar to some plastics, it’s reasonable to wonder if any of that plastic ends up in our bodies in the form of microplastics. This is especially concerning given evidence of a link between microplastic consumption and heart disease. 

A 2025 study investigated exactly this. Researchers at UCLA tested 10 widely available gum brands. Five with conventional synthetic bases, and five marketed as “natural.” They found that every brand released microplastics into saliva. On average, about 100 microplastic particles were released per gram of gum, with some pieces releasing up to 600. Given that a typical stick of gum weighs 2–6 grams, a single piece could release thousands of microplastic particles.

The finding that surprised researchers most was that natural and synthetic gums released similar amounts of microplastics, including polyolefins and polyethylene terephthalates. About 94% were released in the first 8 minutes of chewing.

Since natural gum bases are derived from plants rather than petroleum, the researchers suspect that microplastics entered the system through manufacturing or packaging rather than through the gum base itself.

This seems like a good reason to choose plastic-free gums and to make sure they are delivered in plastic-free packaging. Whether 100% plastic-free gums actually perform better remains untested, but the reasoning is sound — and opting for one seems like a smart choice.

Added Sugars

While chewing stimulates saliva, which, as we’ve seen, can help neutralize acids that feed cavity-causing bacteria, gum containing sugar undermines all that good work. Sugar-sweetened gum bathes your teeth in free sugars, providing a sumptuous buffet for the plaque-forming bacteria that produce the acids that damage your teeth. 

According to the World Health Organization, sugars are the primary dietary factor in dental caries, and if you want to lower your risk of cavities, eating less added sugar, or none at all, is the way to go. 

Artificial Sweeteners

As the harms of sugar-sweetened gum became widely known, gum manufacturers began formulating sugar-free varieties. Some use artificial sweeteners like aspartame or saccharin, and others rely on what are called sugar alcohols (which don’t actually contain sugar and have no absorbed calories). 

Artificial sweeteners are approved by the FDA for use in foods. Some have been designated as “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS), while others — like saccharin — are considered safe by the FDA but are regulated under a different approval process rather than the formal GRAS designation. The GRAS label itself sets a relatively low bar, often meaning long-term, independent research is limited or non-existent. 

As Carl Sagan famously noted, “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” Contrary to the GRAS label, there are indications that artificial sweeteners may have harmful effects on metabolism and the composition of the gut microbiome. Aspartame may also increase cancer risk. 

Sugar alcohols tend to have a better track record in terms of health effects, but can still cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea if consumed in excess. This may not be a big deal when it comes to chewing gum, since each piece typically contains a tiny quantity of sugar alcohols. But like with anything, it’s possible to go overboard; frequent or high intake of sugar-alcohol-sweetened gum throughout the day can add up and could trigger gastrointestinal symptoms in some people. 

Excessive Chewing

Some people, particularly those with certain jaw alignments or pre-existing TMJ issues, may develop jaw pain or headaches from prolonged, vigorous chewing. For most people, occasional gum chewing poses no jaw risks, but if you notice discomfort, you should probably take a break.

Environmental Costs

Each piece of gum may not seem like a huge contributor to pollution (unless it gets stuck to the bottom of your shoe!), but these things add up. As we’ve seen, synthetic gum bases release microplastics into saliva as you chew. And these microplastics persist in the environment for decades, concentrating as they enter the water supply and move up the food chain.

And speaking of the bottom of your shoe, gum constitutes a big source of urban litter. Researchers estimate that 80–90% of gum gets littered rather than disposed of in a waste receptacle. Worldwide, that’s more than 100,000 tons of chewing gum waiting to hitch a ride on the soles of your shoes. And polymer-based gum residue that gets stuck on sidewalks and roads eventually breaks down into microplastics, which find their way into soil and waterways. 

These microplastics don’t just disappear. They can easily enter ecosystems, where confused wildlife might mistake them for food, or they can stick to fur and feathers, blocking animals’ digestive tracts and hindering their movement. 

Healthier, Planet-Friendly Recommendations

Choose sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol, containing minimal ingredients and avoiding synthetic plastic or rubber bases. 

Here are some options to consider:

Milliways

Milliways makes plastic-free, xylitol-sweetened, vegan, and non-GMO plant-based gums that taste pretty good, at least in my opinion. In fact, I’ve been chewing their Mighty Mint flavor while writing this article! Learn more here.

Simply Gum

Simply Gum is made with a few simple ingredients, so it’s a good choice if you’re avoiding many additives. Both sugar-sweetened and xylitol options are available. It has a sticky texture and fairly mild flavor. Learn more here.

True Gum

True Gum, from Europe-based True Co., provides gum that’s sweetened using stevia and/or xylitol, and has a range of “modern” flavors that you won’t find everywhere else: raspberry/vanilla, ginger/turmeric, and liquorice/eucalyptus, for example. Learn more here.

If You Choose to Chew

If you choose to chew, here’s how to do it more safely: Prioritize sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol, which supports dental health rather than undermining it. Look for brands with transparent ingredient lists that clearly disclose what’s in the gum base — words like “chicle” or specific plant resins are good signs, as are “plastic-free.” Vague terms like “gum base” often hide synthetic polymers. Natural bases made from tree resins are preferable when available, though they may cost more and have a different texture than conventional gum. Chew in moderation rather than making it an all-day habit; the benefits come from occasional use, not constant chewing. And when you’re done, always wrap your gum and dispose of it in a trash bin — never spit it on sidewalks, where it becomes persistent litter that fragments into microplastics and harms the environment.

Gum Alternatives

You can also look for alternatives that help clean your palate and stimulate salivary activity, such as plant-based, whole food breath fresheners like fennel seeds, parsley, and cardamom. And if you want the benefits of xylitol and the saliva it can generate, consider sugar-free mints. Some brands, like Mia Botanica, use just xylitol and peppermint oil. 

Bottom Line

Chewing gum is not a food or a health product, but it can provide some functional benefits, such as mouth cleaning, a bit of appetite control, improved focus and mood, and support for overall dental health. For a plastic-free, eco-conscious lifestyle, choose brands with transparent ingredient lists and biodegradable bases sweetened with xylitol. Chew in moderation, dispose of gum responsibly (even plastic-free varieties can take a long time to biodegrade), and take care of your mouth and teeth through regular dental hygiene. 

Featured image: istock.com/JenD

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you chew gum? Why or why not?
• Have you used any of the gum brands described in this article, and if so, what do you think? 
• Do you have a favorite brand that’s free of sugar, plastic, and artificial sweeteners?

Read Next:

• 6 Must-Try Healthy Plant-Based Pizzas

The post Are You Eating Plastic? What’s Really in Your Chewing Gum appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

But osteopenia and osteoporosis aren’t an inevitable part of aging. With the right nutrition, targeted supplementation, and lifestyle strategies, you can build and maintain strong bones well into your later years.

What Is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease because it’s largely symptomless until it’s not. Many people don’t realize they have it until a minor fall results in a broken hip, or they notice their spine curving or their height shrinking. In severe cases, bones become so fragile that a sneeze, a hug, or bumping into furniture can cause a fracture.

The disease develops when your body loses bone faster than it can rebuild it, leaving bones weak, porous, and prone to breaking. Think of it like a building losing structural support — from the outside, it may look fine, but the foundation is quietly deteriorating.

When Does Bone Loss Begin?

Here’s what most people don’t realize: Bone loss typically begins decades before any symptoms appear. Your bone mass peaks around age 30, after which your lifestyle choices determine whether your skeleton stays strong or gradually weakens.

As bone density declines, many people develop osteopenia — a condition where bones are weaker than normal but not yet fragile enough to be classified as osteoporosis. Think of osteopenia as a yellow warning light: Your bones are losing density, but you still have time to intervene before reaching the red zone of full osteoporosis.

This means bone health isn’t just a concern for older adults diagnosed with osteoporosis. The habits you adopt in your 20s, 30s, and 40s — and the choices you make if you’re diagnosed with osteopenia — set the foundation for how robust your bones will be in your 60s, 70s, and beyond.

The critical question isn’t whether you’ll face bone loss as you age. It’s whether you’ll take action now to prevent osteopenia and osteoporosis from ever taking hold — or to slow, halt, and in some cases even reverse bone loss if it’s already begun.

What Causes Osteoporosis?

Many factors can contribute to the process by which bones weaken over time. 

Some of these factors are out of our control. These include being over the age of 50, being female, being postmenopausal, having a family history of osteoporosis, and having a small frame. Hormonal changes that occur naturally with age may also increase osteoporosis risk, specifically an increase in parathyroid hormone, which regulates calcium and phosphorus levels in your bones.

There are also lifestyle factors that contribute to the risk of osteoporosis. Things that raise your chances of weakened bones include:

• Smoking
• Leading an inactive lifestyle
• Being underweight or overweight
• Drinking alcohol to excess
• Not eating enough fruits and vegetables
• Consuming large amounts of sodium
• Not getting enough calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin B12 

Certain medications may also promote bone loss and osteoporosis. 

Some of these include:

• Steroids like glucocorticoids
• Proton pump inhibitors to reduce stomach acid 
• The class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
• Some type 2 diabetes meds (like thiazolidinediones)
• Anticonvulsants
• Drugs to prevent blood clots (like heparin)
• And some chemotherapies

If you use one of these medications and aren’t sure how it may be impacting your bone health, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with your health care professional so you can make informed choices about risks, benefits, and ways to mitigate bone loss. 

Some pre-existing health conditions can also put you at higher risk for osteoporosis. If you have celiac disease, multiple myeloma, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, lupus, or kidney or liver diseases, you may have a higher likelihood of developing osteoporosis. This means that incorporating healthy lifestyle habits — like we’re about to discuss — is especially important if you have one or more of those diseases. 

How To Prevent — and In Some Cases, Reverse — Osteoporosis

When it comes to preventing and reversing osteoporosis, it turns out there’s a lot you can do. And it all starts with the building blocks of your skeleton (and every other part of your body): the food you eat. 

1. The Role of Calcium in Osteoporosis

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body, and about 99% of it is found in your bones and teeth. Your bones aren’t inert; they undergo constant remodeling. One of their most important jobs is managing calcium stores, which they need both for bone formation and maintenance. As you age, your bones tend to lose more calcium than they gain, which raises the likelihood of developing osteoporosis. This is especially common among postmenopausal women.

How much calcium do you need? Here are the recommended dietary allowances based on age groups:

• 0–6 months = 200 mg
• 7–12 months = 260 mg
• 1–3 years = 700 mg
• 4–8 years = 1,000 mg
• 9–13 years = 1,300 mg
• 14–18 years = 1,300 mg
• 19–50 years = 1,000 mg
• 51–70 years = 1,000 mg for men; 1,200 mg for women
• 71+ years = 1,200 mg

2. What Plant Foods Should You Be Eating?

Some of the best plant sources of calcium are listed below, with data sourced from the USDA FoodData Central nutrient database:

• Green Leafy Vegetables
  • 1 cup loose kale = 53 mg 
  • 1 cup mustard greens = 64 mg
  • 1 cup romaine lettuce = 21 mg
• Beans & Legumes
  • ½ cup canned kidney beans = 45 mg
  • ½ cup chickpeas = 80 mg
  • ½ cup cooked black beans = 40 mg
  • ½ cup cooked lentils = 20 mg
  • ⅔ cup green peas = 40 mg
• Broccoli
  • 1 cup raw broccoli florets = 35 mg
  • ½ cup cooked chopped broccoli = 31 mg
• Whole Grains
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa = 31 mg
  • 1 cup cooked oatmeal = 21 mg
  • 1 cup cooked amaranth = 116 mg
• Dried Fruit
  • ¼ cup dried figs = 57 mg
  • 5 dried apricots = 20 mg
  • 1 box (28 g) raisins = 20 mg
• Seeds and Nuts
  • 2 Tbsp chia seeds = 177 mg
  • 2 Tbsp sesame seeds = 176 mg
  • 1 oz almonds = 75 mg
  • 1 oz hazelnuts = 56 mg
  • 1 oz tahini = 42 mg
• Soy Foods (go organic to steer clear of GMOs)
  • ½ cup edamame = 80 mg
  • 3 oz tofu = 150 mg
  • 1 cup tempeh = 184 mg

Fun Fact: The Prune Advantage

Penn State research in 2024 found that postmenopausal women who ate just 4 to 6 prunes daily maintained bone density and strength over a year, while women who didn’t eat prunes saw significant declines. Prunes deliver not only calcium, but also boron, vitamin K, and polyphenols that work together to protect bone structure. While they’re not a magic bullet on their own, they’re an easy, delicious addition to a bone-protective diet.

Calcium Absorption: Not All Greens Are Equal

Just because a food is high in calcium doesn’t necessarily mean your body will absorb all that calcium. Some calcium-rich plant foods also contain oxalic acid (or oxalates), which can bind to calcium and inhibit its absorption. But choosing low-oxalate greens can actually give you better calcium absorption than dairy.

High-oxalate greens like spinach, rhubarb stalks, chard, and beet greens may deliver as little as 5% of their calcium content into your bloodstream. While these greens offer many other nutrients and don’t need to be eliminated from your diet, they shouldn’t be your go-to calcium sources.

Low-oxalate greens like kale, bok choy, collard greens, mustard greens, and broccoli are where the magic happens. Your body absorbs approximately 50% of the calcium from these vegetables, compared to only about 30% from dairy milk. This means a cup of cooked bok choy or collards can deliver more usable calcium than you might expect from looking at the numbers alone.

Practical tip: If you enjoy cooking with high-oxalate greens like chard or beet greens, mix them with low-oxalate greens like kale or collards. The small amount of oxalic acid from the chard won’t significantly compromise the calcium absorption from the kale.

The bottom line: Focus on low-oxalate leafy greens as your primary calcium sources, and you’ll actually absorb calcium more efficiently than from dairy — while also getting fiber, antioxidants, vitamin K, and other bone-supporting nutrients.

What About Beans?

Another compound that can inhibit calcium absorption is phytic acid, which is found primarily in beans and whole grains. But don’t let this discourage you from eating beans. They’re excellent sources of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals that support overall health.

Simple preparation reduces phytic acid: Soak dried beans for several hours or overnight, drain and rinse, then cook in fresh water. This process not only reduces phytates but also improves digestibility (meaning, less toots!) and increases the bioavailability of calcium and other minerals.

What About Dairy and Bone Health?

You might be wondering: If dairy is high in calcium, why focus on plant sources?

For decades, the dairy industry (aided by government allocations of taxpayer money) has promoted high calcium consumption as the key to preventing osteoporosis, touting dairy products as the best sources of calcium. And yes, dairy provides a lot of calcium. A cup of cow’s milk contains over 300 milligrams.

But when scientists look at populations worldwide, they’ve found a surprising pattern. Countries with the highest dairy consumption — like the US, Great Britain, and Scandinavia — tend to have among the highest rates of hip fractures. Meanwhile, populations in Asia and Africa with very low dairy intake often have much lower fracture rates.

The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, which followed 77,761 women for 12 years, found that those who consumed the most calcium from dairy foods actually broke more bones than those who rarely drank milk.

That said, other studies have found that dairy consumption is linked to a lower risk of osteoporosis. 

What explains this paradox? Several factors may be at play:

• Latitude and vitamin D: Many high-dairy countries are far from the equator and have limited sunlight, leading to widespread vitamin D deficiency that impairs calcium absorption regardless of intake.
• Dietary patterns: Diets high in dairy often include high sodium and processed foods, which can increase calcium loss from bones.
• What calcium comes with: Dairy provides calcium in relative isolation. Plant foods deliver calcium alongside magnesium, potassium, vitamin K1, and other bone-supporting nutrients that work synergistically. Plus, as we’ve seen, low-oxalate greens offer better calcium absorption rates than dairy.

The takeaway: Whole plant foods provide a more complete package for bone health than dairy products alone. When you get calcium from leafy greens, beans, seeds, and fortified plant milks, you’re also getting fiber, antioxidants, and alkalizing minerals that work together to support your skeleton.

Don’t Forget Protein

While calcium gets most of the attention, protein is also vital for bone health. About half of bone volume is protein, primarily collagen, which forms the flexible matrix that gives bones structure and resilience.

Research shows that adequate protein intake (around 1.0–1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight for older adults) is associated with higher bone mineral density and reduced fracture risk. For a 150-pound person, that’s roughly 68–83 grams daily.

Plant proteins support bone health just as effectively as animal proteins, with an added advantage: They come packaged with potassium and magnesium, minerals that buffer dietary acids without requiring your body to draw on bone calcium reserves. 

Good plant sources include legumes, soy foods, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

For more on protein, see our article here.

3. What Foods Should You Avoid? 

While including a variety of the foods above helps meet your calcium needs, it’s also a good idea to avoid certain foods that could work against your calcium balance. Some foods and beverages can actually promote calcium loss from your bones. 

Sodium: Foods that are high in sodium, like fast food and many packaged convenience products, can promote calcium loss. Fortunately, spices and other salt-free seasonings can add amazing flavor to homemade dishes with only positive health effects. 

Wheat bran: Wheat bran is high in phytic acid, which, as we’ve just seen, inhibits calcium absorption. Unlike beans, wheat bran is the only phytate-rich food that appears to inhibit calcium absorption from other foods eaten at the same time. 

Caffeine: Caffeine can reduce calcium absorption from foods and contribute to bone loss. If you’re worried about osteoporosis, this could be a reason to limit your consumption of caffeinated beverages like soda, tea, and coffee. At the very least, it’s recommended not to drink them within two hours of eating calcium-rich foods or taking calcium-containing supplements. 

Soda: While soda certainly isn’t a health food, certain types can be particularly hard on your skeleton. In particular, dark colas have been linked to lower bone density because they contain phosphoric acid — a synthetic additive used for flavor and preservation. This inorganic form of phosphorus is absorbed much more readily than the phosphorus found in whole foods. When consumed in large amounts, it can trigger the body to leach calcium from the bones to maintain a proper mineral balance, especially if your dietary calcium intake is already low.

How to Prevent Osteoporosis with Lifestyle Strategies

While dietary choices form the foundation of bone health, they work best alongside strategic lifestyle habits. Let’s look at how movement and exercise support strong bones.

It turns out that bones operate on the “use-it-or-lose-it” principle. Your bones respond to mechanical stress by becoming stronger — and one source of that stress is simply your body weight.

Here’s an interesting paradox: In most areas of health, being lean is an advantage. But when it comes to bone health, carrying more body weight actually provides a benefit — it puts constant stress on your skeleton, stimulating your bones to stay strong. This is one reason why very lean individuals, particularly slender postmenopausal women, face higher fracture risk and need to be especially intentional about resistance training.

The most effective way to create that bone-building stress is through weight-bearing exercise: walking, running, weight-lifting, dancing, climbing stairs, and playing tennis (or, if you’re on the cutting edge of culture, pickleball or Padel). These activities use your body weight and help maintain your bone strength. The strain of muscular activity stimulates your body to shore up your bones.

How much exercise is best? Many experts recommend at least 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise per day, most days of the week. 

If you have severe osteoporosis, however, remain prudent. While it’s never too late to start exercising, people with existing osteoporosis should start slowly. Before beginning a new exercise routine, you may want to speak with your health care practitioner, who might recommend doing a fitness assessment and bone density test to determine the best next steps. 

Some of the activities most often recommended for people with osteoporosis include stability and balance exercises, flexibility and weight-bearing aerobic exercises, and strength training exercises that focus on the upper back. If you have advanced osteoporosis, a physical therapist can help design an exercise regimen that’s safe and appropriate.

Whole Body Vibration

Whole-body vibration (WBV) platforms deliver gentle, high-frequency vibrations that stimulate muscle contractions and provide a mild mechanical load to bones. The theory is that these vibrations force your bones and muscles to work harder to stabilize, similar to how they respond to gravity during weight-bearing exercise.

Clinical trials and recent reviews suggest WBV may modestly improve or help preserve bone density, particularly at the hip, and may reduce fall risk by improving strength and balance — though results depend on the vibration settings and overall program, and benefits are generally small to moderate.

WBV can be a convenient option for people who can’t do traditional weight-bearing exercises due to mobility limitations or joint issues. However, it shouldn’t replace regular exercise for those who can walk, lift weights, or engage in other bone-strengthening activities.

Strategic Supplementation for Strong Bones

When it comes to bone health supplementation, three nutrients form the foundational trio: calcium, vitamin D3, and vitamin K2. Here’s why they work best together — and how to supplement them safely and effectively.

Calcium: When Food Isn’t Enough

While getting calcium from whole plant foods is ideal, not everyone meets their needs through diet alone. Women over 50 need about 1,200 mg/day, but many plant-based eaters consume closer to 700–900 milligrams, leaving a significant gap.

This matters: A 2021 analysis of the Adventist Health Study II found that vegan women who didn’t supplement with calcium and vitamin D had about 3 times the risk of hip fracture compared to non-vegetarians. The encouraging news was that with appropriate supplementation, the excessive risk disappeared entirely.

If you aren’t getting enough calcium from food, a modest supplement can bridge the gap. The evidence-based approach is:

• Form: Calcium citrate malate is highly absorbable and gentle on digestion
• Amount: 400–500 milligrams of elemental calcium per serving
• Timing: Take with food for optimal absorption, though calcium citrate malate absorbs well even on an empty stomach — making it more flexible than other forms like calcium carbonate, which require stomach acid
• Frequency: Split larger doses (if you take more than 500 mg/day) into two servings, since absorption maxes out around 500 milligrams per dose

Calcium citrate malate has performed best in clinical trials for slowing postmenopausal bone loss and tends to cause fewer digestive issues than calcium carbonate.

Addressing Cardiovascular Concerns

Some cardiologists have raised concerns about high-dose calcium supplementation (typically 1,000 milligrams or more at once) potentially increasing cardiovascular risk. This is why modern evidence-based protocols recommend modest supplementation — around 400–500 milligrams at a time, taken with food — which provides bone benefits without the same level of cardiovascular concerns.

Additionally, taking calcium alongside vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 helps ensure it is directed to your bones rather than accumulating in your arteries, addressing this concern from a different angle.

Vitamin D3: The Absorption Enhancer

Vitamin D3 plays a dual role in bone health: It enhances calcium absorption in your intestines and supports the muscles that help you maintain balance and avoid falls. Without adequate vitamin D, your risk of bone fractures increases significantly as you age.

As the Adventist Health Study II demonstrated, vitamin D supplementation — alongside calcium — is particularly important for plant-based eaters. Yet vitamin D deficiency is remarkably common: A 2014 systematic review in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology found that over a billion people worldwide are deficient. Other researchers have found that about one in four Americans has vitamin D levels considered too low for bone health.

Getting Enough Vitamin D

There are two main approaches:

Sunlight: Your skin produces vitamin D when exposed to direct ultraviolet light. Most people benefit from between 10 and 30 minutes of sun exposure per day, spread over much of the body, though those who live far from the equator or have darker skin may need more. (Note: Tanning beds aren’t recommended because they increase skin cancer risk.)

Supplementation: Many healthcare professionals recommend a maintenance dose of 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily, though individual needs vary. If you’ve never had your levels checked, consider asking your healthcare provider for a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test (or order a vitamin D test kit online). Many bone health experts suggest optimal blood levels should be between 30–50 ng/mL (75–125 nmol/L).

Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, excessive amounts can build up in your body and potentially cause harm, including bone loss. This is why it could be wise to get your levels checked periodically if you supplement with significant doses.

Many vitamin D3 supplements are derived from animal products, such as lanolin found in sheep’s wool. However, vegan vitamin D3 supplements are becoming more available and are usually made from lichen, an organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria. Vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol, is a synthetic version that’s vegan-friendly but is not usually as effective at raising blood vitamin D levels as vitamin D3. 

For more on vitamin D, see our article here.

Vitamin K2: The Traffic Director

Vitamin K2 (specifically the MK-7 form) works synergistically with vitamin D by directing calcium to your bones rather than allowing it to accumulate in soft tissues and arteries. Think of it as traffic control for calcium — vitamin D helps you absorb it, and K2 makes sure it goes where it’s needed.

One clinical marker of osteoporosis and other bone diseases is an increase in the level of a hormone, osteocalcin, produced by bone cells called osteoblasts. Both vitamin K1 and K2 have been shown to reduce osteocalcin levels. High doses of vitamin K2 have also been used to prevent further bone loss and fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Getting K2 From Food

Plant-based eaters can get vitamin K1 from many foods, including leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, prunes, peas, parsley, and scallions. Your body can convert some K1 to K2 in the gut, but this process varies by individual and isn’t always efficient — especially for those with compromised gut health.

While the main dietary sources of K2 for many omnivores are high-fat dairy products and organ meats, plant-based eaters can get it from natto (a Japanese fermented soybean dish that’s exceptionally high in K2) and other fermented foods such as tempeh, sauerkraut, and kimchi. However, since there’s no widely available blood test for K2 status and K1 conversion varies, supplementation may be beneficial, particularly for people following plant-based diets who aren’t regularly consuming natto or other fermented foods high in K2.

A daily dose of 50 mcg of K2 (as MK-7), combined with appropriate levels of vitamin D3 and calcium, provides comprehensive bone support while helping to address cardiovascular concerns some people have about calcium supplementation.

Why Take Them Together?

These three nutrients work synergistically:

• Vitamin D3 enhances calcium absorption in your gut
• Calcium provides the raw material for bone building and maintenance
• Vitamin K2 directs that absorbed calcium to your bones (not your arteries)

Taking them together, ideally in a single formulation, ensures optimal absorption and utilization while minimizing cardiovascular concerns. And it eliminates the guesswork and pill burden of taking multiple separate supplements.

For more on vitamin K, see our article here.

Additional Supplements

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 deficiency may increase your risk of osteoporosis. A condition called pernicious anemia — caused by either inadequate intake of vitamin B12, or insufficient absorption of the vitamin due to gut problems — is a risk factor for osteoporosis, especially among older women.

Fortunately, supplemental B12 can lead to significant improvements in bone health in patients with severe osteoporosis and pernicious anemia. 

While vegans and vegetarians are at higher risk of not getting enough B12, studies show that many omnivores are deficient, too. In fact, researchers at Tufts University concluded that about 40% of adults in the Framingham Offspring cohort had low-normal (marginal) vitamin B12 status, and about 9% met the standard lab definition of deficiency. This means B12 supplementation isn’t just a vegan issue (though it’s definitely more pronounced for vegans) — it’s broadly relevant for anyone concerned about bone health. Fortunately, it’s easy and economical to add a B12 supplement to your diet. A reasonable maintenance amount is 50 mcg/day. 

For more on vitamin B12, see our article here.

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate is a well-researched supplement that helps maintain muscle strength as you age — and emerging evidence suggests it may protect bones as well, particularly when combined with resistance training.

A randomized controlled trial at the University of Saskatchewan looked at whether creatine supplementation could help postmenopausal women maintain bone density. Over the course of a year, one group took 10 grams of creatine daily while doing resistance training, and another group did the same workouts with a placebo. The women who took creatine lost significantly less bone mineral density at the femoral neck — a key part of the hip and a common fracture site — compared to those who took the placebo. 

Why? Likely because creatine boosts muscle strength and size, which creates greater mechanical stress on bones during weight-bearing exercise — the very stimulus bones need to stay strong. Stronger muscles also reduce fall risk, adding another layer of protection for bones.

While more research is needed to fully understand creatine’s direct effects on bone density, the current evidence suggests that taking a modest daily dose alongside regular strength training may offer meaningful benefits for skeletal health — particularly for postmenopausal women and older adults at higher risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia.

Think of creatine as a complement to — not a replacement for — a bone-healthy diet and regular weight-bearing exercise.

For more on creatine, see our article here.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays a vital role in bone health. About 60% of the magnesium in your body is stored in your bones, where it helps support their structure and strength. It also plays a regulatory role, helping to dial down the activity of bone-resorbing cells. Magnesium is essential for activating vitamin D, which in turn helps your body absorb and use calcium effectively — so it’s a key partner in keeping your bones strong. 

If your diet doesn’t provide enough, magnesium bisglycinate is a gentle, well-absorbed option. A typical serving provides 150–200 milligrams of elemental magnesium, which is comfortably below the 350 mg/day upper limit for supplements and can be a smart addition for many adults.

For more on magnesium, see our article here.

Boron

Boron is a heavy hitter in a tiny package; it helps the body retain calcium and magnesium by significantly reducing the amount of these minerals lost in your urine. Research shows that boron also extends the “half-life” of vitamin D and estrogen in the body, both of which are vital for maintaining bone density as we age.

Most boron supplements give you a tiny amount of boron — usually between 0.15 and 6 mg/day. These come in forms like boron citrate or combined with amino acids. Taking 2 mg/day (as boron citrate-glycinate chelate) is a safe and typical amount you’d get from food-level supplements.

Zinc

Zinc is a critical cofactor for bone mineralization, acting as a biological “stimulator” for the cells that build new bone while simultaneously inhibiting the cells that break it down. Research also shows that zinc is required for the production of collagen — the flexible protein matrix that gives bones their structural strength — and that even a mild deficiency can stall bone growth and repair.

If you’re not getting enough zinc, a modest supplement can help fill the gap. A common low-dose “maintenance” amount is about 5–10 mg/day of elemental zinc, which can help make sure you’re reaching the adult recommended daily allowance (8–11 mg/day), while keeping you well below the 40-mg/day upper limit.

Why zinc picolinate may be the best choice: Zinc picolinate is zinc bound to picolinic acid, a natural chelator your body already uses to transport minerals across the intestinal wall. In the only head-to-head study I’m aware of, published in Agents and Actions way back in 1987, zinc picolinate significantly outperformed zinc citrate and zinc gluconate in absorption, showing much higher levels in tissues after supplementation. This superior bioavailability means the zinc actually reaches your bone-building cells (osteoblasts) where it’s needed — and you can use smaller doses, reducing the risk of the nausea some people experience with cheaper forms like zinc sulfate.

For more on zinc, see our article here.

Healthy Habits Support Healthy Bones

Osteoporosis is a common condition, but even if you’re facing multiple risk factors, you can still make choices that minimize your likelihood of developing it. Choosing calcium-rich, whole plant foods, incorporating regular, weight-bearing exercise, enjoying a healthy dose of sunlight, and supplementing when appropriate are great habits to adopt. If you have an existing medical condition, take medications, or are struggling with habits that may be putting you at a higher risk for poor bone health, speak with your health care provider about how to best support your skeleton, so your skeleton can continue to support you. 

3 Recipes to Help Strengthen Bones and Prevent Osteoporosis

If you really want to maximize your calcium and overall bone-supporting nutrient intake, consider starting with the Creamy Vanilla Cinnamon Chia Pudding for breakfast, which includes rock-star ingredient chia seeds. Then, move to the 12-Ingredient Superfood Salad Bowl for lunch with calcium superstars kale and edamame. Finally, end the day with Kung Pao Tofu and Broccoli with calcium-rich… Well, can you guess the calcium stars here? (Hint: It’s in the name!)

1. Creamy Vanilla Cinnamon Chia Pudding

Fun fact about chia seeds (in case you missed it above): They have a whopping 177 milligrams of calcium in just 2 tablespoons! When it comes to nuts and seeds, chia seeds are powerhouses. This chia pudding for two offers all of that calcium and more! Add some protein-rich fortified plant-based soy milk to it, and you have yourself a delicious bone-building treat (with another 200+ milligrams of calcium per serving!). 

2. 12-Ingredient Superfood Salad Bowl

How many bone-building nutrients can you successfully squeeze into one bowl? A lot! While kale and edamame stand out as nutrition heroes given their calcium content, this salad is also packed with magnesium from nuts and seeds and protein from hemp and walnuts — both of which are essential nutrients for supporting bone health. 

3. Kung Pao Tofu and Broccoli  

Not only is this dish simple to make and bursting with flavor, but it’s also jam-packed with calcium, thanks to the two stars of the show: organic tofu and broccoli. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for an extra calcium bonus!

Your Skeleton Will Thank You

Your bones have been carrying you around since before you could walk — literally holding you up through every step, stumble, dance move, and ill-advised jump off a diving board. They deserve some love in return.

The good news? Strong bones aren’t built on luck or genetics alone. They’re built on choices: what you eat, how you move, and whether you give your skeleton the nutrients it needs to do its job. Load up on calcium-rich plant foods, get your vitamin D (from sunshine or supplements), add in the supporting cast of K2, B12, magnesium, boron, and zinc, don’t skimp on protein, and move your body regularly with weight-bearing exercise.

Whether you’re 25 or 85, whether you’ve been diagnosed with osteopenia or you’re just getting ahead of the curve, it’s never too early or too late to start taking care of your bones because the skeleton you’re building today is the one that will carry you — hiking, dancing, playing with grandkids, or just getting out of bed without worry — for decades to come.

A little prevention now means a lot more freedom later. Your future self is already grateful.

Tell us in the comments:

• What are your favorite calcium-rich plant foods?
• Do you make any lifestyle choices with osteoporosis prevention in mind?

Feature image: iStock.com/quickshooting

Read Next:

• Why Milk Isn’t Necessary for Strong Bones or Weight Loss — But Is Linked to Disease and Other Health Issues

The post How To Prevent Osteoporosis and Promote Bone Health appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

This makes me question the saying, “You are what you eat.”

It’s got a ring of truth to it (especially if it’s a cell phone, haha), but here’s a more accurate statement: “You are what you digest.” After all, the person whose false teeth tipped down their gullet didn’t turn into a dental clinic.

And the converse is also true: Just because certain nutrients are abundant in a food doesn’t mean that your body will absorb them. If nutrients just go in one end and out the other, they don’t provide you with many benefits.

The good news is that there are specific ways to prepare and combine foods that can enhance nutrient bioavailability — that is, how easily your body can access and benefit from those nutrients.

And more good news: How your food is grown, as well as how long it takes to get to your kitchen counter, can also have a huge impact on nutritional quality. 

In this article, we’ll look at various methods of food sourcing, preparation, and combining that can either maximize or impair nutrition.

Food Sourcing & Storage

This may be obvious, but food gets its nutrients from the sun, soil, and atmosphere. Many studies have shown that the same produce can have very different nutritional profiles depending on its “terroir,” which isn’t a scary word or a feisty little dog, but means the complete natural environment in which a plant grows. Even two peaches from the same tree can vary dramatically in their levels of beta-carotene, depending on which branch they grew on. 

That complete natural environment also includes farming methods, including whether and which chemicals are used to fertilize the plants or protect them from pathogens and competition. Pesticides used in the growing season can reduce the food’s nutritional punch. And the residues that make it into your body can cause all kinds of health problems. 

Organic Produce

To maximize the benefits of the plant foods you eat, look for organically grown, local produce whenever possible. Organic foods may have higher concentrations of nutrients, especially those all-important antioxidants. And they’re less likely to contain pesticides and pesticide residues. 

Local Produce

Local produce, while it may not be organic, also has significant benefits. As the nutrient composition of fruits and veggies degrade after picking, local produce can be much fresher than the stuff that travels around the world in refrigerated ships, planes, and trucks. Also, since shelf-life isn’t the primary consideration, local growers can provide more unusual (and often highly nutritious and delicious) varieties of fruits and veggies that ripen quicker or bruise more easily than iceberg lettuce and tasteless tomatoes. And while some small farmers use season extension techniques like greenhouses, shade cloth, and high tunnels, most of the produce you’ll get from a local grower will be in season — another way to ensure maximal nutritional value.

Home-Grown Produce

Of course, the best, and certainly the most local, kind of produce is the kind you grow yourself or get from a neighbor with a green thumb. One possible “silver lining” of the pandemic is that it led to a dramatic revival in backyard gardening. For our article on how to start a food garden and take control of your food, click here.

Frozen Produce

Another high-quality source of nutritionally dense fruits and vegetables is your grocer’s freezer section. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at peak ripeness and then flash-frozen, which preserves their nutrients remarkably well. But do vitamins degrade in the freezer? Research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2015 compared the nutritional content of foods that were frozen or refrigerated. For many vitamins, there was no difference. With the exception of beta-carotene, which degraded in the frozen produce, the vitamin levels in frozen foods were “comparable to and occasionally higher than” the fresh refrigerated ones. Of course, you can always grow your own or buy fresh produce and freeze it yourself. Here’s our helpful how-to article on food storage and preservation.

Food Preparation

How you prepare your fruits and veggies can also affect how much nutrition you get from them. It turns out that being a little rough on your produce can be a good thing. Cutting or chopping vegetables wounds their flesh, triggering a defensive reaction. The veggie releases polyphenols to prevent further damage. 

To understand why this works, it’s helpful to think like a head of lettuce (I mean, it has a head, so it must think, right?). You’re hanging out in the ground, minding your own business, taking in some rays, and along comes a bunny rabbit who starts chomping you. What are you going to do? 

You can’t run away (darn roots!). You can’t hide, and you can’t fight back. But you can make yourself taste bitter, so Flopsy decides that some other leafy green will be a much more pleasant meal. Many plants, including not just lettuce but also celery, parsnip, and others, pump out polyphenols when cut, which not only deter rabbits but can, remarkably enough, help protect humans from heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

Foods with high concentrations of vitamin C should be eaten right after cutting, because polyphenols can bind to vitamin C and use it up before it reaches our tissues.

The Benefit of Preparing Alliums

Another class of foods that loves us more when we crush it is the alliums (think onions, garlic, and leeks), which contain strong-smelling organosulfur compounds. It’s much better to chop or crush garlic than to eat it whole (not that you were considering popping them like candy) because the damage to the bulb releases an enzyme called allicin, which has the nasty habit of putting an Elvis Costello song into my head every time I read the word. This enzyme turns the garlic into a nutrient factory in overdrive, releasing copious amounts of health-promoting chemicals for our benefit. Onions also release pungent organosulfur compounds when their cell walls are broken, which is why chopping them can make us cry.

But here’s a little-known fact about onions and garlic: After you cut or crush them, their nutritional power increases for the next 10 or so minutes. For maximum benefit, leave them alone for at least a few minutes after chopping or crushing before cooking with them or eating them raw.

Prepare Food by Fermentation

Fermenting is another way of increasing good nutrients in some foods. Well known for its ability to support the spread of probiotic microbes, it has the added benefit of reducing phytates. That’s a victory for nutritional bioavailability, as phytates can inhibit the absorption of certain minerals. In 2018, researchers working to improve nutritional outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa discovered that fermentation increased enzyme activity in cereal grains and legumes. That made nutrients more available for human uptake.

Also, antioxidant properties of fermented foods are higher than their unfermented counterparts due to increased vitamin C activity. (Here’s our article on the benefits of fermentation, along with some easy-to-follow instructions to get started with sauerkraut and plant-based yogurt.)

Soaking Grains and Legumes

That same 2018 African study found that soaking grains and legumes initiates germination and reduces their phytate content, both of which increase the bioavailability of their nutrients. Beans are already health-promoting superstars; they’re one of the foods most strongly associated with longevity. Soaking them so they begin to germinate makes them even more nutritionally potent.

Prepare Nutritious Meals by Sprouting

The health food movement has touted sprouting (say “touted sprouting” five times fast) for many decades. We’re starting to see the science to support some of the claims of sprouting advocates. A comprehensive 2019 review of the science of sprouted grains appeared in Nutrients Journal. It included the fascinating bit of information that fruit flies given supplemental wheatgrass shots lived, on average, 6 days longer than their cousins in the wheatgrass-deprived control group. I doubt the same effect occurs in humans, but if it did, it would add about 9 years to our life expectancy. 

Sprouted beans, grains, nuts, and seeds are more nutritious and digestible than their non-sprouted counterparts. They contain more fiber, and sprouted whole grains in particular are higher in protein. Also, sprouted foods trigger increased production of the neurotransmitter GABA, which plays a key role in regulating mood. Low GABA has been linked to both depressed and manic states. Here’s how to start growing your own sprouts. Whether you share your wheatgrass with your local fruit flies is totally up to you. 

As a bonus, sprouted grains and beans are easier to digest and are less flatugenic, which is a wonderful vocabulary word that means they provide less musical inspiration to your hind quarters. Here are some instructions for soaking beans and grains for superior nutrient absorption.

Make Sure You Soak Your Rice & Rinse Your Quinoa

One grain in particular should be soaked before cooking. Rice, unfortunately, can contain high levels of arsenic, a Group A carcinogen and one of the worst pollutants found at Superfund sites. Even organic brown rice can contain worrying concentrations of arsenic. But studies show that soaking the rice in a particular way — which we share here — can remove much of the arsenic.

And here’s a fun fact about quinoa. It has a natural coating of saponins, which can deliver a slightly bitter, soapy taste and may cause an upset stomach. A quick rinse in a large strainer removes most of the saponins, making your quinoa taste a bit sweeter and less bitter. Of course, you can also soak it overnight, which delivers the added benefit of starting the germination process.

Raw or Cooked?

Whether raw or cooked food is healthier is one of the heated (ha!) debates in the healthy eating community. I’m happy to offer the definitive answer: Yes.

Some foods are more nutritious in their raw state, while others deliver more bioavailable nutrients after being heated. For this discussion, we’ll stick to high-level principles. (If you want a deep dive on the topic, click here.) 

One of the most powerful cancer-preventing and cancer-fighting nutrients is sulforaphane, which you can get from raw cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and the heavyweight sulforaphane champion, broccoli sprouts. To activate sulforaphane, the vegetable’s cell walls must be broken by cutting, chopping, or chewing to allow an enzyme called myrosinase to convert the precursor compound glucoraphanin into sulforaphane. This enzyme is sensitive to heat, so raw or lightly cooked forms are generally best for maximizing sulforaphane production.

So that does mean you should never eat steamed broccoli or stir-fried cabbage? Not at all. Here are a few hacks to get your cooked cruciferous friends’ sulforaphane levels to rival their raw state.

First, sprinkle some powdered mustard seeds over your cooked broccoli. Even a small amount delivers enough myrosinase to activate the sulforaphane. Second, combine your cooked crucifers with a little shredded raw cabbage. Third, if you plan ahead, you can use Dr. Greger’s “hack and hold” technique: Cut the veggies 40 minutes or more before cooking, then heat them to your heart’s content without destroying the sulforaphane. And fourth, you can mix a few raw arugula leaves into your cooked (cabbage family) veggies.

Foods high in water-soluble B vitamins and vitamin C, like leafy greens, broccoli, citrus fruits, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes, retain the most nutrients when eaten raw or added at the very end of cooking. Heat will draw out the water from these fruits and veggies, and with that water, many of the water-soluble vitamins. A 2017 study out of Korea found that boiled and steamed chard retained absolutely no vitamin C. Zero. So if you do steam or boil your greens and other B- and C-rich foods, it’s wise to do so in a soup or stew, or save the broth or water for later use to keep from pouring vitamins down the drain. 

On the other hand, fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K are best eaten cooked. These nutrients actually stabilize when cooked, and in some cases, become more bioavailable.

And it’s not just fat-soluble vitamins. Certain antioxidants, like lycopene in tomatoes, actually become more potent when cooked, making that simmered marinara or tomato soup not just comforting, but also deeply nourishing.

Nutrient & Food Combining

There are a lot of ideas about food combining out there, and most are completely unsupported by science. For example, vegetarians don’t need to pair beans and grains at every meal to equal the supposedly “perfect protein” profile of an egg. And you aren’t going to confuse your digestive system by combining fruits with vegetables. You are also permitted to drink some water with meals; it won’t dilute your stomach’s digestive juices to the point of impairment in quantities less than an entire quart or liter.

Emerging research suggests that some of the benefits people attribute to “food combining” may actually come from how different dietary patterns influence the gut microbiome. A 2025 systematic review of 80 controlled clinical trials found that whole-diet interventions — especially fiber- and polyphenol-rich patterns such as Mediterranean- and plant-forward diets — were more consistently associated with increases in beneficial, short-chain–fatty-acid–producing bacteria and reductions in inflammatory markers. In other words, while rigid food-combining rules aren’t supported by science, eating complementary whole foods that nourish your gut microbes may help explain why certain meal patterns feel easier to digest.

But some principles of food combining are valid, and following them will help you increase the absorption of key nutrients — and in some cases, support more stable energy and blood sugar. For example, research on mixed meals shows that pairing carbohydrate-rich foods with protein (and fiber-rich whole foods) can reduce post-meal glucose spikes compared to eating carbohydrates on their own. Emerging evidence also suggests that how you distribute carbohydrates and protein across meals throughout the day may influence metabolic health, especially for people managing insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.

So let’s talk about which foods to pair with others for maximum nutritional benefit. We’ve already seen that powdered mustard seeds love cruciferous veggies, but that’s just the tip of the broccolini. Let’s examine how to increase the intake of iron, vitamin D, and other fat-soluble vitamins by smart combining.

Iron

To get enough iron, combine iron-rich foods like leafy greens, chickpeas, tofu, lentils, and oats with foods high in vitamin C. If you eat an exclusively plant-based diet, you’re getting the non-heme form of iron, which isn’t as bioavailable as the heme iron found in animal tissue. Vitamin C increases the absorption and bioavailability of iron in the body. Examples include lentil soup with a squeeze of lemon juice, cooked oats with fresh strawberries, and sauteed spinach with red peppers. There’s also some evidence that foods high in beta-carotene can also aid in nonheme iron absorption. However, clinical research suggests that adding vitamin C to iron supplements may not provide additional benefit beyond iron alone, even though vitamin C-rich foods can enhance non-heme iron absorption.

Garlic and onions also increase the availability of non-heme iron when eaten with iron-containing foods. No, I’m not going to give you a recipe for oatmeal with cinnamon and freshly sliced raw garlic on top. Now that I’ve said it, maybe it will be a viral TikTok sensation by next week! But you can benefit from this effect by eating savory grains with cooked or raw onion and garlic dishes.

There are also foods that inhibit iron absorption, including foods containing high concentrations of calcium (some leafy greens and soy foods), tannins (found in coffee and tea), and unsoaked grains or beans (there’s that phytate, back in action again).

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients that many of us need more of. Since it’s produced by the body when sunlight hits the skin, people with mostly indoor lives are at risk of deficiency. It’s crucial for calcium absorption and is an important nutrient for our immune system health. Research has shown that low levels of vitamin D are associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes. Vitamin D is found in fatty fish, egg yolks, and (if they’ve been exposed to sunlight while growing) mushrooms. But for most people, direct sun exposure is the primary source of vitamin D, and it’s often not enough. So you may benefit from supplementation. (More on vitamin D and how much you need here.)

Vitamin D is a team player; it needs vitamins K1 and K2 to do its job of regulating calcium metabolism for bone and heart health. K2, in particular, seems to boost absorption of D. K2 is another nutrient that’s easy to be deficient in unless you’re a fan of natto. If you’re not familiar, natto is a fermented soybean dish that’s a breakfast staple in Japan, and provokes very strong opinions ranging from love to, well, not love.

Since these vitamins spend a lot of their time and energy shuttling calcium around the body, you want to make sure you’re getting sufficient calcium along with your D and Ks. Some examples of calcium and K combos that might also fold in some D include tempeh with low-oxalate leafy greens and mushrooms, or broccoli with tahini sauce.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

All fat-soluble vitamins, including A, D, E, and K, should be taken or eaten with a fat source for maximum absorption. Some foods that deliver these vitamins already contain fat, such as nuts and seeds. Other low-fat foods high in fat-soluble vitamins or their precursors (such as beta-carotene) should be combined with a fat source. So you can top your sweet potato with guacamole or drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over your grilled bell peppers.

Best Recipes for Combining the Right Foods

One thing about food combining is that it not only optimizes nutrient absorption but also brings together flavors and textures — creating the most delicious combinations! Salads take on a whole new meaning with the Warm Kale Edamame Salad with Shiitake Bacon. The Mexican Bean Soup is packed with traditional Mexican ingredients to maximize iron absorption. The traditional Club Sandwich gets a major revision, making it environmentally friendly, healthy, and delicious. Bone-building at its best comes with the vitamin D-, K-, and calcium-packed Mushroom Pecan Burger. Finally, a sweet treat for all nutrient absorption, Pumpkin Chia Pudding earns a gold star for its iron, beta-carotene, and vitamin D powers.

1. Warm Kale Edamame Salad with Shiitake Bacon

This could be called the “Bone-Building Bowl” — it’s absolutely packed with nutrients that support strong bones. Earthy kale is loaded with absorbable calcium and vitamin K. Edamame is rich in plant-based protein and calcium. Shiitake mushrooms could potentially have vitamin D (soak them in the sun for a bit to help them maximize their vitamin D potential). Enjoy this refreshing and flavorful salad knowing your skeleton will thank you!

2. Mexican Bean Soup

Did you know that you can maximize the absorption of iron simply by adding a variety of delicious and nutrient-dense ingredients to your recipes? It might not be something you think of as you’re creating recipes, but it’s something you probably already do every day.

For example, ingredients traditionally used in Mexican meals often include beans, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Beans are packed with iron, and tomatoes and peppers are packed with vitamin C, which can increase iron absorption fivefold. Onions and other allium veggies like garlic and shallots can also increase iron absorption by up to seven times!

Finally, red and orange peppers have carotenoids, which can further increase iron absorption by up to three times. Now you have plenty to say when someone asks you how you get your iron from plant-based foods. Enjoy this flavorful Mexican soup as a side, an appetizer, or a full meal!

3. Club Sandwiches

Optimize both your iron and your beta-carotene absorption in one tasty club sandwich! The vitamin C in tomatoes helps to maximize the absorption of iron from the whole-grain bread and hummus (organic chickpeas!) while the healthy plant-based fats from sesame in the tahini maximize absorption of beta-carotene in the sweet potatoes. Did someone say healthy club sandwich? Sign us up!

4. Mushroom Pecan Burgers

Bone-building at its best — these burgers provide vitamin D from the mushrooms, calcium from the tahini, and vitamin K from the miso and parsley. Oh, and did we mention? They’re also unbelievably delicious with their irresistible umami flavor and great texture. Make extra and store them in the freezer so you have them for weeks to come!

5. Pumpkin Chia Pudding

This is a triple bonus when it comes to food combining. The iron absorption from the chia seeds is enhanced by the beta-carotene and vitamin C in the pumpkin. Bones are supported by the calcium in the chia seeds and vitamin D fortified plant-based milk (look for vitamin D and calcium-fortified in whichever milk you choose!). And, the omega-3 fatty acids in the chia help to optimize beta-carotene in the pumpkin. Talk about a nutrient-powered treat!

Boost Your Health with Food Preparation and Combining

By strategically preparing and combining foods, you can minimize the possibility of nutritional deficiencies while boosting your health. There are many ways to do this, but ultimately, what’s most important is to eat a wide variety of whole plant foods daily. If you’re eating the rainbow on a regular basis, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about the details. If you want that extra little bit of nutritional excellence, pick the strategies and combinations that are easiest and most delicious, and focus on the nutrients that matter most to you.

Tell us in the comments:

• What are your favorite healthy food combos?
• What’s one combination you’re going to try next?
• What’s one food you can source locally

Read Next

• Vitamin B12: Why it’s Important and How to Avoid B12 Deficiency
• Folate (B9): What it Is, Where to Get it, and Why Folate Is Different from Folic Acid
• Vitamin K: Benefits, How to Get it, and How Much You Need
• The Truth About Iron + Why Plant-Based Foods Are the Best Way to Get the Iron You Need
• Why Daily Vitamin C Is Good for Your Immune System
• Vitamin D Guidelines: What Is it, How Much Do You Need & How to Get Enough

The post Unlock Maximum Nutrition: Food Prep and Food Combining appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

For two centuries, historians have debated what went wrong. What caused the master of the battlefield to underestimate his foes, commit so many errors, and fall so completely into their traps?

The answer may have been kidney stones. Apparently, Napoleon suffered from kidney disease for most of his life. And during the Battle of Waterloo, his body was dealing with a particularly nasty kidney stone that rendered him “lethargic and indecisive” — precisely when he needed his full mental vigor. 

Need more proof? Well, almonds are one of the foods highest in oxalates — compounds that may contribute to kidney stone formation. And guess what Napoleon’s favorite food was? According to his second valet, “What he especially liked were fresh almonds. He was so fond of them that he would eat almost the whole plate.”

Should You Avoid Oxalates?

Which brings me to today’s topic: oxalates in food. Thanks to some prominent “alt-health” voices and the speed of internet rumors, oxalates are sometimes demonized as nutritional villains, along with other supposedly harmful compounds found in plants, such as phytates, lectins, and the alkaloids found in nightshades. The main concern is that eating a diet high in oxalates can lead to the formation of kidney stones. Another fear is that oxalates act as “anti-nutrients,” impairing the absorption of minerals like zinc, calcium, and iron.

But what’s the truth about oxalates? Are they really that bad? Will a fondness for almonds cause you to lose world-shaping military campaigns? And should you avoid oxalate-containing foods, whether you’re prone to kidney stones or not?

What Are Oxalates?

While the terms oxalate and oxalic acid are often used interchangeably, they’re not the same. Oxalates are salts that form from oxalic acid, a naturally occurring organic acid found in plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. 

Plants manufacture oxalates for their own purposes — mainly to protect themselves against insects and other herbivores. But the same characteristics that make oxalates annoying to predators — like binding calcium and other minerals — provide health benefits to people when we eat oxalate-rich plant foods.

Oxalates play a role in calcium regulation, ionic balances, and heavy metal detoxification. While some of the oxalates we carry around in our bodies come from eating plant foods that contain them, our bodies can synthesize them as well.

What Foods Contain Oxalates?

Oxalates are found in a variety of plant foods, like nuts, beans, and some vegetables. 

Dietary sources of oxalates for some foods are listed below, along with the average amount of oxalates in a 100-gram serving. 

• Rhubarb, raw — 1,060 mg
• Spinach, raw — 650 to 1,290 mg (varies by variety)
• Spinach, cooked — 755 mg (about ½ cup)
• Swiss chard, raw — 657 mg
• Almonds — 369 mg
• Dark chocolate — 232 mg
• Peanuts — 131 mg
• Sweet potato, baked or broiled — 126 mg
• Black beans, cooked — 60 mg
• Beets, boiled, steamed, or pickled — 57 mg
• Potatoes, baked, with skin — 46mg

Despite — or perhaps because of — their oxalate content, these are some of the healthiest foods on the planet, whose consumption is associated with longer life expectancy. 

A well-balanced diet that incorporates a good variety of healthy foods is going to contain its fair share of oxalates and other “anti-nutrients.” However, it will also include an array of healthy compounds and nutrients that can help counteract any potentially problematic effects.

If these types of foods contained just oxalates, that would be a problem. But the presence of potassium, calcium, and a whole range of phytochemicals found in oxalate-rich foods means that dietary oxalates are not an issue for most people.

Oxalates & Kidney Stones

The kidney stones that contributed to Napoleon’s demise may have come (in part) from his almond consumption. But the medical field wasn’t quite as developed back then as it is today. And in the modern world, research is telling us that while high oxalate foods may contribute to the formation of some kidney stones, there are other factors that may be at least as significant.

It turns out that there are four basic types of kidney stones:

1. Calcium phosphate kidney stones mainly result from animal protein-rich foods like meat, dairy, and eggs; fruit juices, sodas, and processed foods with added phosphorus; and excess sodium.
2. Uric acid kidney stones are a result of too much acid in the urine. And they are mainly fueled by animal protein, sugary drinks, and alcohol.
3. Cystine kidney stones are caused by a hereditary condition that causes cystine to leak into the urine. Research indicates that they can be fueled by drinking too little water, consuming too much sodium, and eating animal protein.
4. Calcium oxalate kidney stones are the most common kind of kidney stone. They form when calcium in your urine combines with oxalates. Low-oxalate diets are sometimes prescribed for people who are prone to the calcium oxalate form of kidney stones. Adhering to such a diet generally means eating less than 100 mg of oxalic acid per day — which means no spinach (or beet greens or Swiss chard). When this diet is prescribed, it’s usually out of an abundance of caution because the role of dietary oxalates and calcium oxalate kidney stone formation is still inconclusive.

If you’re concerned about kidney stones, there is only one type that may be linked to oxalate consumption. However, oxalates don’t just come from the food you eat. About half the oxalates in your urine come from endogenous synthesis (which is a fancy way of saying that your body makes it by itself).

What causes your body to make oxalates endogenously? Researchers believe that salt, animal protein, and excessive vitamin C are all associated with increased oxalate formation in your body, as measured by what winds up in your urine. 

Is Oxalate an Anti-Nutrient?

Oxalates can also bind to certain minerals in the gut, especially calcium, zinc, and magnesium, and prevent them from being readily absorbed. This is why it’s often considered an anti-nutrient. And is one reason why spinach, despite being high in iron and calcium, isn’t usually the best dietary source of these nutrients. Its high oxalate content can reduce the bioavailability of some of the minerals it contains.

So if you’re concerned about your calcium, zinc, or magnesium levels, you may want to moderate your oxalate consumption, and/or make sure you are eating plenty of these minerals from sources that aren’t especially high in oxalates. This is especially true with calcium because it can regulate dietary oxalate absorption. And low-calcium diets have been shown to increase the risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones.

Are Oxalates Dangerous?

Some people have gone so far as to label oxalates a toxin. It’s true that in very high amounts, oxalic acid could cause damage to your esophagus. They could even be fatal by lowering the calcium in your body to critical levels, if you were to consume household cleaning products or antifreeze that contained pure oxalic acid. 

But I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most people aren’t chugging Prestone. Anyway, demonizing spinach because you shouldn’t drink antifreeze is like saying that drinking water is dangerous because someone could drown in a lake.

An average single serving (two cups raw or one cup cooked) of a high-oxalate food is not enough to cause problems for most people. If you enjoy green smoothies, note that oxalates do absorb more rapidly in liquid form. 

And while I certainly advocate eating your greens (and other healthy plant foods), it’s best to make sure that some of them are lower-oxalate greens, such as kale, collards, broccoli, arugula, romaine lettuce, parsley — frankly, any green that isn’t spinach, chard, or beet greens.

In other words, if you are consuming green smoothies, green juices, giant green salads daily, and cooked greens, it’s recommended not to use spinach, chard, or beet greens every day and to limit them to 25% of your green intake. You’ll get the extra benefit of higher availability of calcium from the lower-oxalate greens.

Who Should Avoid or Limit Oxalates?

While oxalates included as a part of a balanced diet aren’t going to be problematic for most people, certain populations may benefit from avoiding or minimizing their intake.

People With a History of Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones

First, people with a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones or kidney disease may want to watch their oxalate intake. People who suffer from hyperoxaluria, a genetic condition that leads to too much oxalate in their urine, should also moderate their consumption of high oxalate foods. If their concentration of urinary oxalates becomes too high, people with hyperoxaluria are at risk for calcium oxalate kidney stones.

People With Mineral Deficiencies

Folks at a higher risk for nutritional deficiencies (particularly minerals) may want to minimize oxalate intake. Because oxalates bind to minerals, if you’re deficient in calcium, zinc, or magnesium already, consistently eating a lot of high-oxalate foods may worsen your deficiency. This is more of a concern with calcium deficiency, since calcium helps your body excrete oxalates. Some research suggests that oxalate intake doesn’t seem to impact your ability to absorb iron.

People With Hyperparathyroid Disease

Hyperparathyroid disease is a condition in which your body produces too much parathyroid hormone (PTH). This can lead to a loss of calcium. And a diet high in oxalates, which can bind to calcium, can make already low levels of this critical nutrient even lower. For this reason, people with hyperparathyroid disease may want to avoid oxalate-rich foods.

People With Gut Malabsorption Issues

People with gut malabsorption issues — like short bowel, malabsorptive bowel disease, or celiac disease — may benefit from a lower-oxalate diet. In many cases, there may be too few bacteria present in their digestive tract to degrade oxalates sufficiently. This can also be an issue for people who have undergone bariatric surgery for obesity, since that change to the gastrointestinal system may impact the absorption of certain nutrients.

Rare Cases

There are rare instances where eating too much oxalate-rich food can lead to severe kidney disease in people with certain health conditions. 

For people with high blood pressure or sensitive kidneys, going overboard on nuts and seeds can backfire. One woman, trying to manage digestive issues with a plant-based diet, consumed large amounts of oxalate-rich almonds and chia seeds daily. Over time, her kidney function declined. Fortunately, when she shifted to a lower-oxalate diet, her health began to improve.

A woman who had undergone a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery began a 10-day “green smoothie cleanse,” consuming large quantities of spinach and other leafy greens. Midway through the cleanse, she developed acute kidney injury. Once she stopped the high-oxalate diet, her condition began to improve.

A man with diabetes and high blood pressure began drinking large quantities of vegetable juices made from spinach, Swiss chard, and other leafy greens. Over time, the overload severely damaged his kidneys, eventually leading to end-stage kidney failure. He now requires long-term dialysis.

How to Reduce Oxalates in Food

If you fall into a category that requires more awareness of oxalate-containing foods in your diet, or just want to exercise caution, here are some tips to reduce dietary oxalates.

1. Consume Calcium Alongside High-Oxalate Foods

A normal calcium diet, which contains around 800–1,000 milligrams per day, should be able to offset the potential effects of oxalates that can otherwise lower your calcium levels. For more on calcium, click here.

2. Increase Your Intake of Magnesium

Magnesium can also help reduce oxalate absorption when taken at around the same time as high-oxalate foods. These effects disappear if your intake of magnesium and oxalate is separated by 12 hours or more. You can achieve this by increasing your intake of magnesium-rich foods — such as whole grains, legumes, low-oxalate nuts, seeds, and greens — or by taking a supplement. For more on magnesium, click here.

3. Cook Oxalate-Rich Foods Before Eating Them

Research suggests that boiling and steaming can significantly reduce oxalate content. One study found that boiling reduced oxalates in raw vegetables by 30–87%, and steaming reduced them by 5–53%. Roasting, grilling, or baking, however, may have little to no effect.

4. Soak, Sprout, or Ferment Oxalate-Rich Foods Before Cooking Them

A 2018 study found that soaking pulses (the edible seeds of plants in the legume family) before cooking significantly reduced oxalate levels. The researchers found that approximately 24–72% of total oxalates in pulses appeared to be soluble, meaning their concentrations dissolved in water. 

Another study found that fermenting chard significantly lowered its oxalate content. Sprouting may also reduce oxalate content by up to 80% in red kidney beans. It’s important to cook kidney beans well, even if you sprout them, because cooking destroys a type of lectin called phytohaemagglutinin, which can be toxic.

5. Drink Enough Fluids

Staying hydrated with water can also help flush out oxalates and prevent dehydration, which can otherwise play a role in kidney stone formation for some people.

There’s No Need to Fear Oxalates

While some people may need to avoid dietary oxalates, particularly in large amounts, most people do not need to worry. In fact, many oxalate-containing foods are some of the healthiest foods out there. 

If you’re still concerned about oxalates, there are several effective ways to mitigate their impact, allowing you to continue enjoying the nutritious foods that contain them.

In other words, you can eat almonds and still conquer all of Europe, although I can’t imagine why you’d want to. Instead, perhaps eat oxalate-containing foods in moderation (sticking to a standard serving) and work towards a sustainable and just food system for all.

Tell us in the comments:

• What oxalate-rich foods are part of your regular diet?
• What do you think about the controversy around oxalates and other anti-nutrients?
• How do you prepare plant foods to reduce their oxalate content?

Feature image: iStock.com/Teleginatania

Read Next:

• What Are Phytates? And Do You Need to Avoid Them?
• The Truth About Lectins
• Leafy Greens: How to Source, Wash, Store, & Prepare Them

The post Are Oxalates Bad for You? Should You Avoid High-Oxalate Foods? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Fortunately, tomatoes appear to have few hangups. Perhaps this is due to their many wonderful qualities, which make them the most widely consumed fruit-vegetable in the world: their vibrant colors, juicy texture, complex flavors, and culinary versatility.

Tomatoes Around the World

While the tomato originated in the Americas, it is now at home all over the world. European countries with Mediterranean climates love their tomatoes. Italy, of course, features the pomodoro (literally, “apple of gold”) in pasta sauces and caprese salad. Spain serves up a couple of delicious cold tomato-based soups — gazpacho, and the lesser-known but more filling salmorejo, as well as pan con tomate (a split baguette, toasted and slathered with olive oil and chunky tomato sauce). Portugal and Greece also get into the act, with arroz de tomate (tomato rice) and lathera (veggies stewed in tomato), respectively.

In China, stir-fried tomatoes with scrambled eggs are a popular home-cooked dish, while tomatoes play a starring or supporting role in many of India’s curries and chutneys.

Continuing our world tour, tomatoes are key ingredients in many Mexican salsas and sauces, and Brazilian cuisine features “vinagrete,” a tomato-based condiment served with grilled meats. In the Middle East and North Africa, tomatoes are integral to various stews and salads. Heading south, Nigerian and Ghanaian cuisine features tomatoes in stews and jollof rice.

When Are Tomatoes in Season?

In the US, peak season runs from late spring through early fall (which typically means May through October, depending on the region). The sweet spot is mid-to-late summer, when vine-ripened tomatoes develop high concentrations of sugars and aromatic compounds. This corresponds to higher levels of vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients.

Once you’ve tasted a tomato exposed to a long season of photosynthesis and allowed to ripen on the vine, you’ll find out-of-season tomatoes (which are often picked green and hard for ease of transport and then ripened artificially) to have a bland taste and mealy texture. Plus, they have lower concentrations of vitamins.

Hydroponic tomatoes offer a year-round harvest and faster growth, using significantly less water (~90% reduction compared to soil) and allowing for vertical stacking to save space. While they are often crisp and uniform, their flavor can be milder or less complex, varying with the nutrient solution and growing technique. Artificial lighting and energy are commonly used, which can increase the carbon footprint unless renewable sources are utilized.

The tastiest fresh tomatoes will be those grown locally in season. Buying local also supports better health, the environment, and community resilience. Local produce is often fresher, more nutritious, and grown with fewer chemicals than food trucked or flown in from afar. It also creates fewer transportation emissions, supports local farmers, and helps preserve farmland and biodiversity. 

Tomato Farmworkers and the Fair Food Program

Because tomatoes grow well in long, hot summers, they can be hard on farmworkers. 

Behind every tomato on your grocery store shelf is a farmworker whose labor conditions directly impact both the quality of your food and the dignity of their work. For years, farmworkers — most of them immigrants — have dealt with serious issues like wage theft, dangerous working conditions, and life-threatening heat exposure with little protection. 

These problems not only harm workers but also impact food safety and the reliability of our food system.

Fortunately, you can now vote with your wallet. The new Fair Food Program label, which hit stores in 2024, indicates that your tomatoes come from farms that actually protect their workers with things like guaranteed shade, water breaks, and the right to report problems without retaliation. Major companies like Walmart and McDonald’s are already on board, paying a premium that goes directly to farmworkers. When you choose products with this label or ask your store about ethical sourcing, you’re helping ensure the people who grow your food can do so safely and with dignity.

How To Choose and Store Tomatoes

Because the taste, texture, and nutritional quality of tomatoes can range from awesome to “basically mushy cardboard,” it’s worth spending some time and effort choosing delicious and ripe ones. 

Look for a deep and even color, which can be red, yellow, orange, or even purple or chocolate brown, depending on variety. They should give slightly when gently squeezed (I’d like to emphasize “gently,” so as not to attract the ire of greengrocers worldwide.) And if you’re comfortable doing so, sniff the stem end for a hint of tomato fragrance. 

Once you’ve brought tomatoes home, store them at room temperature. Refrigerate tomatoes only after they’ve been cut, or when they’ve become very ripe and in danger of spoiling. For best flavor, serve tomatoes at room temperature. 

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the tomatoes you buy will be unripe or underripe. Don’t despair — there are some tricks you can try to speed up ripening indoors. 

You can speed-ripen tomatoes in a brown paper bag. This traps the ethylene gas that tomatoes emit, which promotes ripening. Add a ripe banana or apple to accelerate the process. You can also skip the bag entirely and just add unripe tomatoes to a bowl filled with ripe bananas or apples.

Another method is to position your unripe tomatoes in a shallow dish in a warm area that receives indirect sunlight, such as a windowsill. Turn them daily for even ripening. 

For batches too large for a plate or dish, line a cardboard box with newspaper, arrange the tomatoes in a single layer, cover with another layer of newspaper, and store in a warm, dry place.

If you have unripe tomatoes growing in your garden and a killing frost is forecast, you can uproot the entire plant and hang it upside down in a cool, dry location like a basement or garage. This allows the tomatoes to ripen naturally on the vine while getting a new perspective on life.

Ways To Enjoy Tomatoes

The beauty of tomatoes lies in their versatility. When fresh, they shine in simple preparations that highlight their natural flavor and juiciness. Slice them thick for classic caprese salads, dice them into fresh salsas, or pile them onto crusty bread for bruschetta. Fresh tomatoes also work beautifully in smoothies and gazpacho, where their high water content adds natural hydration along with a hefty dose of vitamin C.

Heat transforms tomatoes completely, concentrating their flavors and unlocking powerful antioxidants like lycopene. Roasting brings out their sweetness, while slow cooking them into sauces, soups, and stews creates rich, complex flavors. You can also dehydrate them into intensely flavored sun-dried tomatoes, ferment them into tangy chutneys, or blend them into dressings and marinades.

Heirloom tomatoes — those open-pollinated varieties passed down through generations — offer exceptional flavor and come in stunning colors from deep purple to bright yellow. They’re perfect for eating fresh when you want to taste the full complexity of the fruit. 

Processed tomatoes have their own superpowers. Canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and sauces are higher in bioavailable lycopene (the antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red color — and may help fight cancer, protect your heart, and support your immune system) than fresh ones, making them nutritional powerhouses for cooking. Research shows that regular consumption of cooked tomato products may reduce oxidative stress and even lower prostate cancer risk. 

When choosing processed options, look for minimal-ingredient, BPA-free, low-sodium varieties.

Tomato Recipes To Try

Juicy, vibrant, and endlessly versatile, tomatoes deserve their spot as a global favorite. Whether fresh off the vine or slow-roasted into rich sauces, they bring brightness, depth, and a boost of antioxidants to every dish. These tomato-forward recipes celebrate the fruit in all its forms, from zesty salsas to creamy comfort bowls, so you can enjoy their flavor and benefits any time of year.

1. Savory Tomato and Olive Oats

Savory Tomato and Olive Oats transform traditional oatmeal into a warm, umami-rich dish perfect for any time of day. Sautéed onions, garlic, and juicy tomatoes create a flavorful base, while rolled oats cook to creamy perfection in soy milk and vegetable broth. Miso paste and nutritional yeast add savory depth, and a topping of kalamata olives, parsley, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds finishes it off with briny crunch and nutrition.

2. Roasted Balsamic Basil Tomatoes

Roasted Balsamic Basil Tomatoes deliver bold, concentrated flavor with just a few simple ingredients. Juicy grape or cherry tomatoes are roasted until tender and caramelized, then tossed with balsamic vinegar, oregano, and cracked black pepper. Finished with torn basil, this easy dish celebrates the tomato’s natural sweetness and is packed with flavor-boosting antioxidants.

3.Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo is a bright and refreshing raw salsa that puts ripe tomatoes front and center. Diced tomatoes mix with red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice for a fresh, zesty condiment that livens up tacos, salads, or grain bowls. This classic combination offers hydration and vitamin C in every crunchy, juicy bite.

4. Cold Peach Tomato Soup

Cold Peach Tomato Soup blends the sweetness of peaches with the juicy acidity of tomatoes for a light and cooling twist on gazpacho. Cucumber, shallots, basil, and a touch of jalapeño add layers of complexity, while lime juice ties it all together. This chilled soup is hydrating, refreshing, and packed with seasonal summer flavor.

5. Refreshing Corn Tomato and Feta Salad

Refreshing Corn Tomato and Feta Salad is a colorful celebration of summer produce. Sweet cherry tomatoes, crisp corn, peppery arugula, and tangy tofu feta come together with avocado and lime juice for a vibrant, balanced dish. The fresh tomatoes offer a juicy contrast to creamy and crunchy textures, making this salad a satisfying and nourishing option for warm days.

6. Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Butter Beans with Spinach

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Butter Beans with Spinach offer richness, depth, and hearty comfort in one bowl. A velvety sauce made from tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, silken tofu, and miso coats tender butter beans and spinach. This dish is full of fiber, plant protein, and bold tomato flavor, ideal for weeknights or meal prep.

7. Chana Masala

Chana Masala features chickpeas simmered in a thick, spiced tomato sauce infused with garlic, ginger, and warming Indian spices. The tomatoes cook down into a robust base that delivers both bold flavor and nourishment. Whether served with rice or flatbread, this dish is a comforting way to enjoy the antioxidant and flavor power of tomatoes.

Conclusion

Image: istock.com/RGStudio

Whether you’re biting into a sun-warmed heirloom straight from the vine, stirring a slow-simmered marinara, or chopping up salsa ingredients, tomatoes offer endless opportunities to savor culinary delights. There’s something deeply satisfying about cooking with ingredients that change with the seasons — capturing summer’s peak flavors in a simple salad or transforming winter’s canned tomatoes into a warming soup. 

Don’t be afraid to experiment: try that weird purple heirloom at the farmers market, come up with your original gazpacho recipe, or finally make sauce from scratch. The beauty of tomatoes is that they’re forgiving and versatile, ready to shine in whatever dish you dream up. 

I’d love to hear about your tomato adventures. Share your favorite recipes or discoveries in the comments below or tag us on social media. After all, the best recipes are the ones passed between friends, just like those heirloom seeds passed down through generations.

Tell us in the comments:

What do you love about tomatoes? 

What are your favorite ways to prepare tomatoes?

Read Next:

Should You Take Berberine? The Science-Backed Pros and Cons of This Popular Supplement

The post Tomato Recipes appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

To make sure we actually bother to find and eat food, evolution has made eating — and even just thinking about it — feel good! That’s why, back in the day, if we stumbled upon an orchard packed with juicy, ripe peaches, we’d stick around and stuff our faces. That way, we’d have enough energy stored up to get through if food were scarce for the next few days.

The idea of voluntarily going without food or intentionally limiting our intake — in other words, fasting — might have seemed crazy to our Paleolithic ancestors. (Unless they had a tummy ache from too many peaches, that is!) 

But we know that for thousands of years now, fasting has been a cornerstone of spiritual practices all around the world. Adherents claim that abstaining from food for periods ranging from a day to several weeks brings them clarity of mind, lightness of body, and calmness of soul.

Now, modern science is showing that fasting can be a powerful addition to an overall healthy lifestyle. It can support weight management, metabolic health, and cellular repair. In fact, in laboratory and clinical trials conducted on animals, restricting calories is one of the few strategies that have been reliably found to increase longevity. ​​(Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)

There are many different types (or “flavors,” if you prefer irony) of fasting. These include intermittent, water-only, and fasting-mimicking diets. Each method comes with its own set of benefits, risks, and challenges. 

In this article, we’ll look at how fasting works. We’ll explore the science, identify and evaluate various fasting methods, and share tips for safe and effective fasting.

What Is Fasting?

Fasting refers to voluntarily abstaining from food and sometimes drinks for a specific period. It can range from short daily fasts (like skipping breakfast) to multi-day fasts.

As fasting has moved into the wellness mainstream, many varieties and “brands” have emerged. Here are some of the most popular.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is about giving your body regular breaks from digestion.

Many of us do this without realizing it; the first meal of the day is called “break fast” for a reason. However, IF can extend the period of fasting or adjust its schedule. 

The key difference between all the various IF methods is how long you go without food. Popular forms of IF include:

• The 5:2 diet, in which you eat normally 5 days a week and restrict calories on 2 non-consecutive days (500 calories a day for women and 600 calories a day for men).
• Alternate-Day Fasting is what it sounds like: fasting every other day. 
• One Meal a Day, or OMAD, involves fasting for 23 hours a day and eating during a 1-hour window. 
• Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) limits eating to the same daily window, such as 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., without necessarily reducing total caloric intake. 

Unlike some other IF approaches that involve full fasting days or significant calorie reduction, TRE aligns food intake with the body’s circadian rhythms and may be more sustainable for long-term use. 

Read more about intermittent fasting here.

In addition to intermittent fasting approaches, other types of fasting involve more intensive restrictions and are often used for detoxification or therapeutic purposes. 

When you water fast, you abstain from all food and caloric beverages, drinking only water for a period of anywhere from 24 hours to several days or more. Most experts recommend that water fasts of longer than three days be done only under medical supervision. 

Juice fasting, also known as juice cleansing, allows fruit and/or vegetable juices while eliminating solid foods. The goal here is to give your digestive system a break while flooding your body with micronutrients. 

Another variation is the mineral broth fast, where only bone or vegan broth is consumed for nourishment and gut support. Bone broth has gained popularity in recent years, but it does come with potential downsides. 

Vegetable broth, especially when homemade, is a low-calorie, nutritious option that can be consumed during fasting, helping to curb cravings and provide hydration.

These methods are typically short-term and more restrictive than intermittent fasting. 

What Happens in the Body During a Fast?

Why is fasting associated with improved health? What’s going on inside your cells and organs when you give your digestive system a vacation? It turns out that there are a bunch of good things that can happen. 

Glycogen Depletion and Ketone Production

Your body has three basic sources of fuel to draw upon to keep you alive and moving. The first is the carbohydrates you eat, which are quickly converted into glucose and transported into your bloodstream, where they are carried to every cell in your body. 

Using carbohydrates as fuel comes with two big benefits. First, they provide quick access to the energy you need. Second, glucose is the main source of energy for your brain.

The second source of fuel is glycogen, which consists of the carbohydrates that you don’t burn right away. Your biggest store of glycogen is in your liver, and it gets tapped when you need energy between meals. 

The third source is your body fat. When you’ve used up your stored glycogen, which can occur between 12–24 hours of fasting, that fat starts to break down, not into carbohydrates or simple sugars, but into ketones, which your brain and body can use as an alternate fuel source to keep you going when food calories aren’t available. This metabolic shift — from glycogen to fat and ketones — is a fundamental aspect of fasting. 

And it’s what allows many of the health benefits of fasting to occur, such as cellular repair (autophagy), improved insulin sensitivity, and potential anti-aging effects, as we’ll see. 

Cellular Autophagy and Detoxification

Fasting triggers autophagy, a process where damaged cells are broken down and recycled. Think of an old house with a fireplace as the only source of heat. If the inhabitants can’t get more firewood, they’ll start looking for other sources of wood to burn. They’ll prioritize broken chairs, rickety shelves, and other damaged items, which can later be replaced by new ones.

In this way, autophagy (which comes from Greek words for “eats itself”) helps clear out dysfunctional proteins and promotes regeneration. There’s some evidence that this may reduce risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Improved Insulin Sensitivity

When your insulin sensitivity is high, your body’s cells respond efficiently to insulin, allowing sugar to enter for energy and keeping your blood sugar levels balanced. If you’re insulin resistant, the sugar has trouble opening the door to each cell. This leads to high blood sugar and forces your body to produce even more insulin, which, over time, can develop into type 2 diabetes.

Water-only fasting has been shown to lower insulin levels, helping the body become more insulin sensitive over time. A 2018 study found that TRE improved insulin signaling and glucose metabolism.

Those improvements aren’t necessarily long-lasting, though. What you eat after a fast (known as the “refeeding” phase) is crucial in retaining the benefits of the fast. A 2022 study found that overweight adults who underwent prolonged water-only fasting followed by a plant-based refeeding diet experienced sustained improvements in weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, inflammation, and markers of fatty liver disease. 

Anti-Aging and Longevity Effects

Direct evidence that water-only fasting extends human lifespan is still scarce, but intriguing research suggests some promising effects. Prolonged fasting appears to kickstart powerful processes in the body, boosting cellular repair, lowering inflammation, and sharpening metabolic health. A study involving 12 healthy volunteers who undertook a 7-day water-only fast observed significant changes in approximately 3,000 proteins in their blood, impacting every major organ in the body. These sweeping changes could very well set the stage for a longer, healthier life.

A 2023 study found that a single 36-hour water-only fast led to significant changes in the plasma lipidome. No, that’s not a stadium in a dystopian sci-fi series. Your plasma lipidome refers to all the “fatty” vehicles that travel through your bloodstream, including cholesterol, triglycerides, and a bunch of others that you may not have heard of because they can’t afford a good public relations firm. Specifically, certain lipids associated with inflammation and metabolic dysfunction decreased, while others linked to cellular signaling and longevity increased.

Fasting has also been shown to significantly reduce levels of IGF-1, a growth hormone that, at high levels, is linked to aging, inflammation, and cancer progression. 

Weight Loss and Fat Burning

Remember that when you run out of carbs and glycogen, your body starts burning its fat to produce ketones. That process, called ketosis, occurs in both IF and prolonged fasting. Over time, it can significantly reduce body fat, particularly visceral fat (the stuff that surrounds your organs and is much more harmful than subcutaneous fat, or the fat that’s just under your skin). (For more on the pros and cons of a ketogenic diet, see our article here.)

Cardiovascular Health

Water fasting has been shown to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

A 2024 study conducted at the Buchinger Wilhelmi Clinic (a fasting clinic in Germany) observed that participants who underwent a 12-day medically supervised water-only fast lowered their total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and triglycerides. Notably, the most artery-clogging particles decreased and remained lower even one month after fasting. 

Enhanced Mental Clarity and Neuroprotection

BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is a protein that helps keep your brain cells healthy and supports learning, memory, and overall brain function. Think of it as a kind of “fertilizer” that allows your brain cells to grow stronger and better connected.

Fasting increases the production of BDNF. And while research on humans is limited, animal studies suggest that intermittent fasting may reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain.​​ Animal studies also suggest that IF may reduce risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by improving how the brain uses energy, reducing inflammation, and helping nerve cells survive longer. 

Inflammation Reduction

Researchers discovered that people who fasted for 24 hours once a week over 6 months had higher levels of a protein called galectin-3 than those who didn’t fast. Galectin-3 helps repair cells and may reduce inflammation in the body.

IF helps reduce inflammation by lowering the activity of NF-κB, a protein that triggers harmful immune responses. More sluggish NF-kB means lower levels of inflammatory molecules, which can compromise gut health and tip your immune system into imbalance. 

In a 2023 study, participants showed a remarkable drop in inflammatory activity within their immune cells after a 36-hour water fast, compared to when they had eaten a regular meal. Not eating gave their immune system a chance to calm down and reset.

Other fasting studies have found relief from chronic conditions like IBS and autoimmune flare-ups.

A 2025 study put 20 middle-aged volunteers on a medically supervised 10-day water fast, followed by a 5-day refeeding period. They experienced weight loss, a metabolic shift into fat-burning mode, improved fat processing in their bodies, and even a reduction in amyloid beta proteins, which are linked to brain plaques.

In this and some other studies, a marker of inflammation called CRP has been seen to rise during fasting. Researchers theorize that the rise may be due to a temporary increase in stress-related hormones like adrenaline.

On the other hand, a different inflammatory biomarker called ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) was found to decrease significantly. And periodic fasting has been shown to clinically improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting that fasting typically leads to decreased inflammation over time.

And because visceral fat itself releases inflammatory chemicals, the reduction in belly size through fasting is also likely to lower inflammation levels in the long run.

Is Fasting For Everyone?

We’ve seen that water fasting, in particular, offers a powerful, evidence-backed way to support detoxification, weight management, metabolic health, and longevity. But it isn’t for everyone. The following groups should probably attempt water fasting only under medical supervision, if at all:

• People with a history of eating disorders
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women
• People with chronic illnesses (especially diabetes, kidney disease, or clotting disorders such as thrombosis)
• Anyone taking medications that may be affected by fasting, such as blood sugar-lowering drugs, blood pressure medications, or those requiring food for proper absorption

Do You Need Supplements While Water-Only Fasting?

Fasting for less than 24 hours typically does not require supplementation, as long as you are healthy and maintain adequate hydration. During short fasts, your body’s electrolyte levels generally remain stable, and drinking a normal amount of water will support your basic physiological functions.

That said, in certain situations, you may have to supplement to maintain your electrolyte balance. These include intensive physical activity or heat exposure, and if you have trouble retaining electrolytes or fluid.

Engaging in intense exercise or being in a hot environment can lead to increased sweating, which means electrolyte loss. Supplementing with electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium can help maintain hydration and prevent muscle cramps and fatigue. 

I’d strongly recommend not scheduling your water fast for the day you run an ultramarathon in Death Valley in July, though! All kidding aside, please save your intense workouts for days when you’re not water fasting.

If you have a health condition that affects your electrolyte balance or ability to retain fluids, such as kidney dysfunction or heart failure, consult with a healthcare provider to determine if you should supplement when fasting. 

If you do decide to add electrolyte supplements to your water during fasting, opt for products that are free from added sugars and calories to avoid breaking the fast. Plain water, herbal teas, and zero-calorie electrolyte solutions can be good ways to stay hydrated without interrupting the fasting state. 

Longer or Repeated Fasts

Fasting for more than 48 hours or engaging in repeated fasting cycles can increase the risk of deficiencies in key electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium, as well as certain vitamins, particularly if your diet lacks nutrient-dense foods.

Extended fasting depletes essential electrolytes because you’re excreting them, but not replenishing your supplies from food. Sodium and potassium levels, in particular, can drop rapidly during the early stages of fasting. 

That’s because decreased insulin levels cause the kidneys to excrete more sodium, leading to a loss of both sodium and potassium through urine. Such losses can, over time, result in symptoms like fatigue, muscle cramps, and dizziness.

Vitamin Deficiencies and Refeeding Syndrome

Prolonged fasting can also lead to deficiencies in vital vitamins, including B vitamins like thiamine (B1). If you just pick up eating normally after an extended fast, you run the risk of something called refeeding syndrome: a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by sudden shifts in fluids and electrolytes. 

This syndrome is associated with deficiencies in phosphate, potassium, magnesium, and thiamine, and can lead to complications such as cardiac arrhythmias, muscle weakness, and neurological issues. 

While that sounds alarming, it’s much more of a danger for people who have been suffering from prolonged malnutrition, whether from lack of access to food or inability to digest it. In medically supervised therapeutic fasting, most participants are far from malnourished.

Importance of Diet Quality

The risk of nutrient deficiencies during fasting is higher if your regular diet is poor, consisting of highly processed foods that are low in micronutrients. Consuming a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes, can help replenish vital nutrients and mitigate any risks associated with prolonged fasting.

Recommendations

• Monitor Electrolyte Levels: If you plan to fast for more than 48 hours, consider monitoring your electrolyte levels and consult with a healthcare professional about the potential need for supplementation.
• Reintroduce Food Gradually: After prolonged fasting, reintroduce food slowly and focus on nutrient-dense meals to reduce the risk of refeeding syndrome. After a longish fast, your taste buds may have changed; you might find that a small plate of steamed zucchini is the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted!
• Stay Hydrated: Ensure adequate water intake during fasting periods. In his book Fasting and Eating for Health, Dr. Joel Fuhrman advises that while one quart of water per day is generally enough for most people, some may need to drink two or more quarts. That said, drinking gallons of water, especially if you’re sweating, could be a recipe for throwing off your electrolyte balance.
• Consult Healthcare Providers: Before starting an extended fasting routine, especially if you have underlying health conditions, seek medical advice to make sure you fast safely.

By paying attention to electrolyte and vitamin intake and choosing a balanced diet when you do eat, you can support your health during fasting practices.

What about Salt After Fasting?

Salt may be risky post-fast if:

• You consume a large quantity very quickly, especially along with high-carb foods.
• You have underlying kidney, heart, or blood pressure issues.
• You’re already depleted in potassium or magnesium.

Salt is beneficial and often recommended in the following post-fast scenarios:

• Added in small amounts to rehydration drinks (e.g., homemade electrolyte solutions).
• Used moderately in meals when breaking a fast (e.g., soups or broths).
• Balanced with potassium and magnesium, either from whole foods or supplements.

Clinical fasting centers (like TrueNorth Health Center) often use low-sodium refeeding protocols in the first day or two, gradually reintroducing sodium over time.

Loss of Muscle Mass

One downside of long water fasts is muscle loss. When you don’t eat for a long time, your body may start converting its muscle tissue into energy. Therefore, some of that weight loss is likely to be due to muscle loss.

What is a Fasting Mimicking Diet?

The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) is a type of eating plan designed to replicate the physiological effects of fasting, while still allowing you to eat. (Talk about the best of both worlds!)

Developed by Dr. Valter Longo and popularized through the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet, the FMD allows limited calorie intake while still triggering many of the beneficial metabolic processes associated with water-only fasting.

 Pros of the Fasting Mimicking Diet:

1. Weight Loss and Fat Reduction: Clinical studies have shown that participants following the FMD for five days a month over three months experienced significant reductions in body weight, abdominal fat, and BMI.
2. Improved Metabolic Health: The FMD has been associated with enhanced insulin sensitivity, lower blood glucose levels, and reduced blood pressure, thereby contributing to better metabolic profiles.
3. Potential Longevity Benefits: In a pair of fascinating clinical trials involving 86 participants, researchers tested the effects of 3 monthly cycles of an FMD, where each cycle consisted of 5 consecutive days of very low-calorie, plant-based meals, followed by about 25 days of regular eating. They found that, after completing the three cycles, participants’ biological age — measured by a validated composite of blood biomarkers linked to mortality risk — dropped by a median of 2.5 years!
4. A fasting-mimicking diet study was found to downregulate IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), which, as we’ve seen, is associated with aging and cancer risk.
5. Caloric restriction and fasting-mimicking diets have been shown in animal models to extend lifespan.

Cons and Considerations:

1. Short-Term Side Effects: Some individuals may experience hunger, fatigue, headaches, or digestive discomfort during the five-day regimen.
2. Cost and Accessibility: Commercially available FMD meal kits, such as ProLon, cost money (though depending on your shopping habits, they might cost less than your regular food budget over the same period).
3. Not Suitable for Everyone: The FMD is not recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, underweight, have eating disorders, or have certain medical conditions. Consultation with a healthcare provider is advisable before starting the diet.
4. Limited Long-Term Research: Although short-term studies are promising, further research is necessary to understand the long-term effects and benefits of FMD fully.

Do-It-Yourself Fasting Mimicking Diet (DIY FMD)

While ProLon offers scientific rigor along with ease and convenience, you can save money by approximating the protocol and availing yourself of its benefits by taking a DIY approach. 

If you decide to do your own FMD, the ideal approach is to use fresh, whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and beans. You can put together your own low-calorie, low-protein, low-carb, high-fat diet designed to “trick” the body into a fasting state while still allowing you to consume food.

Food Tips for Before and After Fasting

Before Your Fast

Think of your pre-fast meal as stocking your body’s pantry. Reach for slow-burning, complex carbohydrates first, such as oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice, beans, and other legumes. They trickle glucose into your bloodstream over several hours, keeping your energy levels stable as you move into the fast. 

Pair those carbs with a dose of healthy fats, such as half an avocado, a spoonful of nut butter, or a small handful of almonds or walnuts. This helps dial down hunger hormones and makes you feel comfortably full. 

Finally, pile on water-rich produce such as cucumbers, leafy greens, berries, and slices of citrus. Their fluid and electrolyte content tops off your hydration stores, so you’re not starting the fast on empty.

Breaking the Fast

When it’s time to eat again, treat your digestive system like a muscle that’s been resting: Warm it up gently. Begin with something light but nourishing, such as a clear vegetable broth, a blended green smoothie with banana and chia or flaxseeds, or a plate of steamed vegetables alongside quinoa or tender lentils. 

Resist the understandable urge to celebrate with pizza, pastries, or other high-fat or sugary fare; those foods can swamp your stomach and send your blood sugar on a roller-coaster ride.

Take small bites, chew thoroughly, and sip water between mouthfuls. Pay attention to satiety cues rather than the clock or a calorie target. 

Over the next few days, gradually widen the menu and portion sizes. Aim for roughly 40–60% of your usual calories on the first refeeding day, then 60–80% the following day. 

By easing back in, you’ll help your body transition smoothly from fasting mode to full-power nourishment.

Is Fasting Right for You?

Fasting can be a powerful tool to support metabolic health, brain function, and longevity. However, it’s not for everyone. Those with medical conditions, a history of disordered eating, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult a healthcare professional.

When approached with mindfulness and supported by a healthy diet, fasting may complement a healthy lifestyle and give your body the reset it needs.

The post Fasting: What It Is, What It Does, and How To Do It Safely appeared first on Food Revolution Network.