People who are vitamin D deficient or have insufficient amounts of vitamin D will need higher amounts of vitamin D supplementation. Milk and dairy products are the best sources of calcium. They contain a form of calcium that your body can absorb easily. Choose yogurts, cheeses, and buttermilk.

Removing some of the fat does not lower the amount of calcium in a dairy product. If you eat very few or no dairy products, you can find calcium in other foods.

It is often added to orange juice, soy milk, tofu, ready-to-eat cereals, and breads. Check the labels on these foods for added calcium. Green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and bok choy Chinese cabbage , are good sources of calcium.

Your doctor may recommend a calcium or vitamin D supplement for the calcium and vitamin D you need. However, the balance between benefits and harms of these supplements is unclear.

Brown C. Vitamins, calcium, bone. In: Brown MJ, Sharma P, Mir FA, Bennett PN, eds. Clinical pharmacology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap LeBoff MS, Greenspan SL, Insogna KL, Lewiecki EM, Saag KG, Singer AJ, Siris ES.

The clinician's guide to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Osteoporos Int. PMID: pubmed. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements website. Fact sheet for health professionals: Calcium. Updated June 2, Accessed September 26, US Preventive Services Task Force; Grossman DC, Curry SJ, Owens DK, et al.

Vitamin D, calcium, or combined supplementation for the primary prevention of fractures in community-dwelling adults: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Updated by: Diane M. Horowitz, MD, Rheumatology and Internal Medicine, Northwell Health, Great Neck, NY.

Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A. Editorial team. Calcium, vitamin D, and your bones. Bone Strength and Calcium. How Much Calcium and Vitamin D do I Need? See more about why we should sit less.

If you have a health condition such as heart disease or arthritis , you may be able to join a suitable group exercise class. See physical activity guidelines for older adults. If you have a high fracture risk or spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis, you need to look after your back.

It's especially important to bend your knees when lifting objects. Avoid movements that involve awkward bending and lifting movements. You may need to be cautious about some types of high impact exercises. Your GP can advise you about this. Some people find their appetite starts to drop as they get older.

Eating less can make it more difficult to get the nutrients you need to keep muscles and bones healthy. Staying active will help to keep your appetite up. But if you don't feel like eating much some days, it's still important to try to stick to a healthy, balanced diet.

For healthy muscles and bones, you need calcium , vitamin D and protein:. Another reason to eat a balanced diet is that it will help you to maintain a healthy body weight.

Being underweight is linked to a higher risk of fractures. Find out about healthy ways to gain weight. If your diet isn't as good as it should be, you may want to consider taking a dietary supplement. Go for one that contains calcium and vitamin D.

Your GP or pharmacist can help you choose one that's suitable for you. Some medicines can affect your appetite. If you think a medicine you're taking may be affecting your appetite, perhaps because it makes you feel nauseous, talk with your pharmacist or GP.

They may be able to suggest an alternative. See more about food for healthy bones. Vitamin D is important for both strong muscles and healthy bones. All adults are advised to consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement, particularly during the winter months October to March.

People who are not often exposed to the sun should take a daily vitamin D supplement throughout the year. People with dark skin, such as those of African, African-Caribbean and south Asian origin, might not get enough vitamin D from sunlight, so they should consider taking a supplement throughout the year.

Find out more about vitamin D. Some foods contain vitamin D. These include oily fish such as mackerel and salmon, eggs, foods fortified with vitamin D such as fat spreads, and some breakfast cereals. If you have osteoporosis, your GP may prescribe a calcium supplement, too.

It's important you do not stop taking a medicine without getting advice from a qualified health professional. Read more about preventing falls. Page last reviewed: 31 October Next review due: 31 October

Milk and dairy products are the best sources of calcium. They contain a form of calcium that your body can absorb easily.

Choose yogurts, cheeses, and buttermilk. Removing some of the fat does not lower the amount of calcium in a dairy product. If you eat very few or no dairy products, you can find calcium in other foods.

It is often added to orange juice, soy milk, tofu, ready-to-eat cereals, and breads. Check the labels on these foods for added calcium. Green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and bok choy Chinese cabbage , are good sources of calcium.

Your doctor may recommend a calcium or vitamin D supplement for the calcium and vitamin D you need. However, the balance between benefits and harms of these supplements is unclear. Brown C.

Vitamins, calcium, bone. In: Brown MJ, Sharma P, Mir FA, Bennett PN, eds. Clinical pharmacology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap LeBoff MS, Greenspan SL, Insogna KL, Lewiecki EM, Saag KG, Singer AJ, Siris ES. The clinician's guide to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Osteoporos Int. PMID: pubmed. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements website. Fact sheet for health professionals: Calcium. Updated June 2, Accessed September 26, It's true that our bones tend to lose strength as we get older.

But even in later years, there's plenty we can do to prevent falls and fractures. Being inactive makes your muscles and bones lose strength.

This increases your risk of osteoporosis, falls and fractures. People over 65 should try to get minutes 2 and a half hours of moderate-intensity exercise every week. It's best to do some exercise every day, spread across the day.

Doing something is always better than doing nothing. Exercise outdoors if you can and build up slowly. Moderate activity will raise your heart rate and make you breathe faster and feel warmer.

One way to tell if you're exercising at a moderate level is if you can still talk but can't sing the words to a song. You should also try to do activities to improve muscle strength at least twice a week.

It's also a good idea to do activities to improve balance and flexibility twice a week as this can reduce your risk of falling. Activities such as yoga or tai chi are best for this. These types of activity can also ease stiffness and unsteadiness associated with painful joints.

You can do activities twice a week that combine moderate-intensity exercise with improving your strength, balance and flexibility or you can do different activities.

You should also try to avoid sitting around for long periods. If you find you have been sitting for a long time, get up and go for a stroll. See more about why we should sit less. If you have a health condition such as heart disease or arthritis , you may be able to join a suitable group exercise class.

See physical activity guidelines for older adults. If you have a high fracture risk or spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis, you need to look after your back. It's especially important to bend your knees when lifting objects. Additionally, due to naturally occurring changes in the skin with age, older adults may be less effective at synthesizing vitamin D Other compounds important for bone health, including magnesium, calcium, vitamin K, and soy isoflavones, are widely available in foods.

However, some instances in which supplements for these nutrients may be indicated include 61 , 62 :. Diet is the preferred way to obtain essential nutrients for bone health. However, there are certain situations in which supplements may be indicated.

Always talk with a healthcare provider before adding any supplements to your regimen. Nutrition alone cannot cure or fully prevent osteoporosis. However, it can play a key role in the management and prevention of the disease. While certain nutrients are important for bone health, including vitamin D, magnesium, boron, and vitamin K, more research is needed on the effectiveness of consuming them as supplements.

Read this article in Spanish. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Vitamin D deficiency is common in Western countries. Learn more about the symptoms and causes of vitamin D deficiency, as well as how to treat it.

This is a detailed article about vitamin D and its health effects. Vitamin D actually functions as a hormone, and deficiency is incredibly common.

Calcium supplements can help you build strong bones. However, they may also cause negative health effects for many people. Magnesium is an essential mineral lacking in many people's diets. This article covers the benefits, side effects, and recommended dosages of magnesium…. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic?

How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nutrition Evidence Based Can Supplements Help Manage or Prevent Osteoporosis? Medically reviewed by Lisa Hodgson, RDN, CDN, CDCES, FADCES , Nutrition — By Kelli McGrane, MS, RD on February 11, Vitamin D Magnesium Boron Vitamin K Soy isoflavones Calcium Other supplements Who may benefit?

The bottom line Osteoporosis is a progressive disease that affects bone density and quality, leading to an increased risk of bone fractures and reductions in quality of life 1 , 2 , 3. Vitamin D.

Vitamin K. Soy isoflavones. Other supplements. Who may benefit from supplements. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: History.

Feb 11, Written By Kelli McGrane, MS, RD. Medically Reviewed By Lisa Hodgson, RDN, CDN, CDCES, FADCES. Share this article. Read this next.