Don’t I need milk and cheese for healthy bones?

Calcium is important. But milk isn’t the only or even best, source.

It’s not a news flash that calcium is key for healthy bones. Getting enough calcium from childhood through adulthood helps build bones up and then helps slow the loss of bone as we age. It’s not clear, though, that we need as much calcium as is generally recommended, and it’s also not clear that dairy products are really the best source of calcium for most people.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/

Dairy products also contain protein, fat and cholesterol that add to your daily intake from these and your other sources.

Humans have been consuming dairy for a relatively short time on an evolutionary scale. They are also the only species that consumes milk after weaning or from another species.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-dairy-good-for-your-bones#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2

Some studies have concluded that consumption of milk and its protein content can lead to increased acidity in the blood. High protein intake results in high bloody acidity levels. Calcium is one of the minerals that is used to lower acidity in a solution. These studies suggest that the calcium from our bones is used to buffer (lower) the acidity in the blood when it rises, leading to a lower bone density.

There are plenty of sources of plant based protein including plant based milk replacements some of which are fortified (soy, almond and oat milks).

Soy, nuts, seeds and dark green leafy vegetables are all great natural sources of calcium.

An interesting one is Blackstrap Molasses. The nutrients in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of blackstrap molasses can also help cover around 18% of your RDI (179mg) of calcium and 5–15% of your daily requirements for iron, selenium, vitamin B6, magnesium, and manganese.