Tag Archives: bone loss

Dairy and bone health

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As you age some bone-loss is natural – for women, however, it can cause osteoporosis where bones become thin and brittle. You probably know that calcium helps keep bones strong, so you might try and make sure you eat yogurt regularly, or drink a glass of milk, but according to new research, some types of dairy products are better for bone density in some parts of the body than others.

Researchers at the Institute for Aging Research, part of Harvard Medical School, US, looked at data from more than 3,000 study participants. They compared details of bone mineral density measurements with the dietary intakes of participants – focusing on milk, yogurt and cream.

They found that milk and yogurt were positively associated with higher bone mineral density in the hip, but not the spine; cream appeared to be associated with lower bone mineral density overall, however. This might be down to the fact that yogurt and milk are often eaten in their low-fat forms, whereas cream is naturally higher in saturated fat.

Dairy products

Dairy products

Eat low-fat dairy. Adults need at least 700mg of calcium per day. That’s three servings of dairy per day. Stick to low-fat to avoid too much saturated fat in your diet.


Munch on greens. Broccoli and green cabbage are good sources of calcium too, as are soya products and nuts. Keep it food-based. You can take a calcium supplement but high quantities of calcium (more than 1500mg) can cause diarrhoea.

Get the D vit. You also need vitamin D for the calcium to be absorbed and used properly by your body. Get yours via a few minutes of sun exposure each day, or through vitamin-D enriched foods, egg yolks, oily fish or supplements.

Lift some weights. Regularly working out with small weights – 15-20 minutes, three times a week, say – will help keep your bones strong too.

Top up on Vitamin D

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People should go outside and soak up some sunshine to help increase their vitamin D levels, a charity is urging.

Arthritis Research UK says vitamin D deficiency can cause bone loss, muscle function problems and, in some cases, rickets in children.

The government recommends vitamin D supplements for pregnant women and children aged under five.

But, on sunny days, a few minutes outdoors should achieve the same results, the charity says.

In January the chief medical officer for England said she was concerned that young children and some adults were not getting enough vitamin D.

Figures show that up to a quarter of the population has low levels of vitamin D in their blood and the majority of pregnant women do not take vitamin D supplements.

People aged over 65, pregnant and breast-feeding women and children aged six months to five years old are thought to be most at risk.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential to help the body absorb calcium from food.

Low levels can result in serious problems with the health of our bones.


Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, said the advice was simple: “When the days are sunny, go out for a few minutes and expose your face and arms to the sunshine.”

But he also had a warning on overexposure: “Don’t allow your skin to go red, and take care not to burn, particularly in strong sunshine and if you have fair or sensitive skin.

“From June to August just 15 minutes is generally enough time.”

The sun’s UV levels are not yet strong enough over the UK for our bodies alone to make enough vitamin D.

He said: “In less sunny months, we recommend that people top up the vitamin D in their diet by eating more oily fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, pilchards and sardines, and foods ‘fortified’ with vitamin D, such as breakfast cereals and some margarines.”