Bone health, diet, and nutrition
1. Calcium
There's almost a kilogram of calcium in your bones! 6 Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones and normal growth and development of bone in children.7,8
Don’t worry – it's not all about milk. Calcium rich foods for bones include:
- green leafy veg, like curly kale and okra 9
- cheese and other dairy products 9
- many fortified dairy alternatives 10
- bread: all flour in the UK is fortified with calcium 10
- calcium-set tofu 11
- almonds 11
- chia seeds 11
- fish with edible bones 9
Adults need 700mg of calcium per day.9
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps us absorb calcium.12
We mainly get our vitamin D through sunlight. Food can help a little: you’ll find vitamin D in oily fish, egg yolks, and some fortified foods like breakfast cereals.10
However, the NHS recommends that, in the UK: 12
- everyone aged five and over should take a 10μg vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter
- children aged one to four years should take a 10μg vitamin D supplement every day of the year
- babies under one year old who are i) breastfed or ii) drink less than 500ml of infant formula per day should take an 8.5μg vitamin D supplement every day of the year
- people at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency (people who are often indoors, who have dark skin, or who cover a lot of their skin with clothing) should take a 10μg vitamin D supplement every day of the year
3. Zinc
Zinc supports the maintenance of normal bones and is found in meat, shellfish, dairy products, bread, quinoa, tofu, and lentils. 13,14,15
However, it’s worth noting that too much zinc can affect our copper absorption. This can lead to anaemia and weaker bones, so balance is key. 14