What to Know About Dairy and Bone Health

Dairy foods contain nutrients essential for bone growth and development, including calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Developing peak bone mass by young adulthood with good nutrition, including adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, and physical activity is one strategy to optimize bone health and reduce the risk of bone diseases later in life.

Research indicates that dairy foods are integral dietary components for building and maintaining healthy bones throughout the lifespan, from early childhood to late adulthood. Eating adequate amounts of dairy foods daily helps ensure that children and adolescents achieve peak bone mass, which is associated with reduced risk for osteoporosis later in life. Consuming dairy foods throughout adulthood, including older adulthood, can help ensure the maintenance of healthy bones and is linked with reduced fracture risk.

Research published since 2015, highlighted in our full report, “Science Summary: Dairy and Bone Health,” provides further support for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations that all Americans aged 9 and older consume three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods as part of the Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Pattern, accompanied by adequate physical activity, to support bone health.

You can download our full report for more information to learn more about dairy and bone health.

For further reading:

Milk & Bone Health: From Childhood Through Adulthood