Milk alone not best for bones

Milk alone not best for bones
"Report: Milk alone not best for bones
Tofu, oats, broccoli, juice cited as alternatives
Monday, March 7, 2005

CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- Children who drink more milk do not necessarily develop healthier bones, researchers said on Monday in a report that stresses exercise and modest consumption of calcium-rich foods such as tofu.

The U.S. government has gradually increased recommendations for daily calcium intake, largely from dairy products, to between 800 and 1,300 milligrams to promote healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis.

But the report, published in the journal Pediatrics, said said boosting consumption of milk or other dairy products was not necessarily the best way to provide the minimal calcium intake of at least 400 milligrams per day.

Other ways to obtain the absorbable calcium found in one cup of cow's milk include a cup of fortified orange juice, a cup of cooked kale or turnip greens, two packages of instant oats, two-thirds cup of tofu, or 1 2/3 cups of broccoli, the report said.

In a review of 37 studies examining the impact of calcium consumption on bone strength in children older than 7, researchers at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington found 27 did not support drinking more milk to boost calcium."

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