Dairy products - a good or bad source of calcium

[andyjohnsonman]

osteoporosis runs in my family so I want to make sure i keep my calcium levels up for bone density. My dad has very weak bones now. He was told he had high cholesterol about 20 years ago so he cut out dairy products which he believes caused it. I watched a few documentaries about 5 years ago one being forks over knives which claims dairy is a bad source of calcium so I cut it out. Over the duration of these 5 years I feel my bones are getting weaker. The research seems to be divided on this topic with no clear evidence saying whether or not diary is a good source. I feel this is a crucial life decision to make as it could make a difference whether I am healthy as I age or start to become weak. What are peoples verdicts in this forum about whether or not to eat dairy for bone health? 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by andyjohnsonman

[PurpleTree]

if you're not lactose intolerant and don't have any other problems digesting milk or milk sensitivities

and you buy good organic dairy products, then i think it's a good source. maybe not daily though

[Osaid]

You probably know this already, but just to make sure, vitamin D and magnesium are just as important for regulating bone health so make sure to get that too. You could try a plant-alternative milk with lots of calcium just to be safe about the controversy around dairy milk.

Also, exercise is apparently really good for bones too. And caffeine and salt intake can lead to higher calcium loss.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Osaid

[Loving Radiance]

@Michael569 Unrelated but it just popped into my mind. I have a certain taste for water since I just drink plain water all the time. Some tapwater here in Germany tastes different than others and some feel heavy. That's why I refill my bottle at specific bathrooms within the same city. Does that heavy feeling correlate with an intuitive detection of heavy metals?

[andyjohnsonman]

Wow thats some great information thanks for that. How can you be sure that "Despite popular claims dairy is NOT associated with reduced osteoporosis risk"? As there seems to be evidence for both being correct. Maybe just to be sure i'll cut milk and cheese in favour of leafy greens and plant based milk?

[andyjohnsonman]

38 minutes ago, Michael569 said:

Despite popular claims dairy is NOT associated with reduced osteoporosis risk.

The above comment was responding to this.

[Average Investor]

@Loving Radiance You don't want to be drinking tap water at all. You are not going to know what is in it and most is filled with a variety of chemicals and metals. If you can get your own reverse osmosis system that would be best. That or something that does fluoride, chemicals and other metals. I would not cheap out on it though. You can buy bottled reverse osmosis water, but they usually put some chemicals in it and it sits in plastic for so long you are just getting toxins from the plastic instead. 

Edited November 11, 2020 by Average Investor

[Loving Radiance]

9 hours ago, Average Investor said:

You don't want to be drinking tap water at all.

Are you informed on German regulations on tap water to assert that?

9 hours ago, Average Investor said:

If you can get your own reverse osmosis system that would be best.

Currently working on that.

[PurpleTree]

54 minutes ago, Loving Radiance said:

Currently working on that.

What system are you looking into and how much is it going to cost?

[mandyjw]

With diet, I think it's really important to follow your intuition. Test things and see how you feel. I absolutely love almond milk, more than normal milk but I swear to god, the calcium they use in it is not right and I get strange subtle symptoms when I drink it. 

I think the best bet is to eat a ton of veggies. Also if you eat sardines with the bones, you get a lot of calcium. Make sure you buy the more expensive, smaller sized ones, or the bones are just gross.

 I don't think high quality sources of dairy are bad every now and then if you can handle it.

[Loving Radiance]

1 hour ago, PurpleTree said:

What system are you looking into and how much is it going to cost?

This is one thing I have bookmarked to look more into. RO system, $219.99

[Average Investor]

@Loving Radiance No, there is no way for me to know the sources you are getting it from specifically either. Either way I would make a large bet to say it contained that stuff I mentioned. 

[UDT]

@andyjohnsonman  Cheese ! Lactose is fermented in cheese.

Important if you drink a lot of coffee or eat verey acidic (what most people do) thant this makes your body draw calcium out of your bones to stabilize pH levels.