As milk the primary source of calcium, we would all benefit in drinking milk (and eating dairy products) well into adulthood. If you are vegetarian, lactose-intolerant, milk allergic, or simply do not like the taste of milk,  you need to make sure you’re getting enough calcium from other calcium-rich food sources or calcium supplements to keep your bones healthy as you age.

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, healthy men and women supplemented with 1,200 mg of calcium per day (amount equivalent to four glasses of milk)  reduced their risk of bone fractures by 72 percent. They also found that it is essential to maintain high calcium intake to prevent bone loss or osteoporosis.

How much calcium do you need?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend three servings of fat free or low-fat milk each day, providing 90 percent of the recommended daily value of calcium for most adults. Milk is also an excellent source of vitamin D, helping the body absorb this much-needed calcium to help maintain strong bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

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Do You Drink Milk?

In an animal study, they found that dietary calcium deficiencywas related to a significantly higher increase in cancer cell proliferation and the total proportion of bone that had been penetrated. Dietary supplementation with calcium might help prevent the spread of breast cancer to bone and serve as an adjuvant treatment during therapy, particularly among women with breast cancer known to be calcium deficient due to low calcium dietary intake or due to vitamin D deficiencyand are thus at increased risk for bone metastases.

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Calcium Supplements May Prevent Breast Cancer Metastasis to the Bone