Fighting osteoporosis with the right diet

Here are some ways to protect yourself from osteoporosis with the right foods.

Mom was right: Children who drink plenty of milk have less risk of osteoporosis, the disease that causes bones to become thin and brittle.

Pay special attention to her advice if you're over 50, have a family history of osteoporosis or are a woman who has gone through menopause, because your bones may be more vulnerable.

With 300 milligrams of calcium in a 175-gram (six-ounce) low-fat yogurt, you're taking in at least a quarter of the daily calcium required.

The science is still evolving, but it seems that the natural plant estrogens in soy help to strengthen bone in the same way that our own hormones do.

Dried figs are a great source of calcium. Add a few diced figs to your yogurt.

• Women who drank at least one can of cola every day for four years had up to five per cent lower bone mineral density than women who drank less than one a week.
• All the women were drinking milk. Researchers think phosphoric acid in soft drinks affects the absorption of calcium.

• Just 25 grams (one ounce) provides 60 milligrams of calcium.
• Try them toasted and sprinkled over salad or yogurt, crushed and mixed into meatballs, in place of pine nuts for pesto, or as a topping for ice cream.

• Another calcium-rich food, sardines — the kind with the bones — make a great substitute for tuna.
• Pair them with a glass of milk and your bones have it made!

• Drinking tea has been shown to strengthen bones.
• One study found that among more than 1,000 Chinese men and women, those who regularly drank tea — usually green tea — had denser bones than those who didn't.

Cabbage is rich in vitamin K, a vitamin that helps to turn on a bone-building protein called osteocalcin.