Certain foods can affect your bones. Learning about these foods can help you make healthier food choices every day.

Dairy products. Dairy products are high in calcium. Low-fat and non-fat milk, yogurt and cheese are good choices. If you like these foods, it’s an easy way to get calcium. It’s important to try to get enough calcium from the foods you eat. When your diet does not have enough calcium for your body’s needs, calcium is taken from your bones.

Some people have trouble drinking milk and eating dairy products because of lactose intolerance. Many lactose-free dairy products that contain calcium are available. Lactase enzyme tablets or drops can also be taken with dairy foods. Some people who are lactose intolerant can eat yogurt with live cultures and hard cheeses like cheddar and swiss. They may even be able to tolerate small amounts of dairy, especially if they eat these foods with a meal.

Vitamin D is also important because it helps your body use calcium. The milk you buy in the grocery store usually has vitamin D added to it. This means it’s fortified with vitamin D. Some other dairy products are fortified with vitamin D, but many of them are not.

Fish. Canned sardines and salmon (with bones) are good ways to get calcium. You can also get calcium from eating canned shrimp. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines are other ways to get vitamin D.

Fortified foods. Calcium and vitamin D are sometimes added to certain brands of juices, breakfast foods, soy milk, rice milk, cereals, snacks and breads. These foods can help you get more calcium and vitamin D in your diet. Check the food labels for these and other foods to see if calcium and vitamin D have been added.

Fruits and vegetables. Several studies have linked higher intakes of fruits and vegetables with better bone health. It is not entirely clear why fruits and vegetables promote healthy bones. Some scientists believe that fruits and vegetables contain certain nutrients that are beneficial for bones. Some examples of these nutrients are:

Calcium. Sources include collard greens, turnip greens, kale, okra, Chinese cabbage, dandelion greens, mustard greens and broccoli.

Magnesium. Sources include spinach, beet greens, okra, tomato products, artichokes, plantains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, collard greens and raisins.

Potassium. Sources include tomato products, raisins, potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, papaya, oranges, orange juice, bananas, plantains and prunes.

Vitamin C. Sources include red peppers, green peppers, oranges, grapefruits, broccoli, strawberries, brussels sprouts, papaya and pineapples.

Vitamin K. Sources include certain dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens and brussels sprouts. 

If you eat a well-balanced diet, you should be getting enough of these nutrients. If not, you may need to take multivitamins or supplements. You cannot get all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs by taking supplements, which is why it’s important to eat at least 1½ cups of fruits and two cups of vegetables every day.

More research studies will help us to better understand the link between eating fruits and vegetables and bone health. 

Beans (legumes). Pinto beans, navy beans, peas and other beans are high in substances called phytates. Phytates interfere with your body’s ability to absorb the calcium that is contained in beans. You can reduce the phytate level by soaking beans in water for several hours and then cooking them in fresh water. In addition to calcium, beans contain magnesium, fiber and other nutrients.

Meat and other high protein foods. Getting enough protein is important for bone health and overall health. The amount of protein needed each day is about 5 ounces for women and 5½ ounces for men. However, special high protein diets can cause the body to lose calcium. You can make up for this loss by getting enough calcium for your body’s needs. For example dairy products, although high in protein, also contain calcium that is important for healthy bones.

Salty foods. Eating foods that have a lot of salt (sodium) causes your body to lose calcium and can lead to bone loss. Try to limit the amount of processed foods, canned foods and salt added to the foods you eat each day. To learn if a food is high in sodium, look at the Nutrition Facts label. If it lists 20% or more for the % Daily Value, it is high in sodium. Getting 2,400 mg or less of sodium per day should not harm bones.

Spinach and other foods with oxalates. Your body doesn’t absorb calcium well from foods that are high in oxalates (oxalic acid) such as spinach. Other foods with oxalates are rhubarb, beet greens and certain beans. These foods contain other healthy nutrients, they just shouldn’t be counted as sources of calcium.

Wheat bran. Wheat bran contains high levels of phytates which can prevent your body from absorbing calcium. 100% wheat bran is the only food that appears to reduce the absorption of calcium in other foods eaten at the same time. For example, when you have milk and wheat bran cereal together, your body can absorb some, but not all, of the calcium from the milk.

We do not know exactly how much calcium is lost when you have 100% wheat bran and calcium together. If you take calcium supplements, you may want to take them two or more hours before or after eating 100% wheat bran. It’s still important to eat fiber-rich foods, many of which do not interfere with calcium absorption.

Other foods that may be good for your bones. Many other foods are being studied to see if they improve bone health and can help prevent osteoporosis. To find research studies on nutrition and bone health, visit www.PubMed.gov, an online service of the US National Library of Medicine.

Drinks and Bone Health

Alcohol. Drinking heavily can lead to bone loss. Many people who drink too much do not get enough calcium. Drinking may also lower your body’s calcium supply. Drinking too much alcohol is bad for your overall health and can make you more likely to fall and break bones.

Alcohol in smaller amounts, however, does not harm bone health. This usually means having no more than 2 - 3 drinks per day.

Coffee, tea and soft drinks (sodas). Some people are concerned that certain nutrients and substances in these drinks are harmful to bones.

Coffee and tea. These drinks naturally contain caffeine. Caffeine appears to decrease calcium absorption by a small amount. Drinking more than three cups of coffee every day may be harmful to bone health. If you enjoy drinking coffee and tea, you can help to make up for any calcium loss by getting enough calcium to meet your body’s needs.

Soft drinks. Some studies suggest that colas, but not other soft drinks, are associated with bone loss. While more research will help us to better understand the link between soft drinks and bone health, here is what we know:

The carbonation in soft drinks does not cause any harm to bone. The caffeine and phosphorous commonly found in colas may contribute to bone loss. Like calcium, phosphorous is a part of the bones. It is listed as an ingredient in colas, some other soft drinks and processed foods as “phosphate” or “phosphoric acid.”

Some experts say that Americans get too much phosphorous, while others believe that it is not a problem as long as people get enough calcium. The harm to bone may actually be caused when people choose soft drinks over milk and calcium-fortified beverages.