How does milk make your bones strong?

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Bones have a very important job. They support the whole weight of our bodies so that we can stand up, sit down, and move around! Bones get weaker as we get older, so it’s good to make them strong while you are still young.

A lot of people say milk helps build strong bones. There’s an important mineral in milk called calcium. Our bones really like calcium because they’re actually made of it! If they don’t have enough, our bones are more likely to fracture or break.

Milk also has vitamin D, which is a hormone that helps our bodies control how much calcium we get from foods.  

There is a lot of scientific discussion going on about how much calcium we actually need to eat and whether or not milk is the best source. In many parts of the world, people don’t drink milk at all after their early childhood years. Milk can be high in fat. Just like with all foods, moderation (limiting how much you eat) is a good idea.

If you don’t like milk, there are other ways to get calcium. Dark green vegetables like collards and broccoli are great sources! Some cereals and orange juices have calcium added, and those are good too! 

Milk in Many Forms!

Milk isn’t just in the carton in your refrigerator. It shows up in all dairy products. With a grown-up, go to your refrigerator and see if you can find the dairy products that you have.

You might find yogurt, which also has a lot of calcium. What about cheese?

One way to know for sure if something contains milk is to look at the ingredients list on the box or carton. You might need a grown-up to help you find it or to read some of the bigger ingredient words, but it’ll be great practice for making healthy eating choices!