Do you have to have dairy products for strong bones and strong good joints? Or are there other foods one can have?  

answers 0:Do you have to have dairy products for strong bones and strong good joints? Or are there other foods one can have? answers 1:Non-dairy calcium foods-1. White beans2. Bok choy3. Figs4. Kale5. kai-lan (Chinese broccoli)6. Broccoli7. Oranges8. Almonds9. Tofu10. Okra... answers 2:Dairy products contain the most useful calcium. There is calcium added to fake milks, but you need to consume a lot more of it (about a third more) to get the benefits of calcium in milk.Some high calcium veggies are also high in oxalates....which inhibit your body's ability to absorb and use the nutrients they contain. You can search the net for foods high in oxalates and avoid them.Exercise also helps build strong bones...and vitamin D. Remember, though that vitamin D3 is better than D2....but D3 is not vegan.The tricky thing about calcium, IMO, is that you may not realize you're not getting enough until you start having dental problems or breaking bones. You'll know pretty soon if you're low on iron. But you can go for years without knowing your bones are not growing properly. By then it may be too late because we only grow bones for about the first 30 years of our lives. After that it's a battle to keep them strong. But if you dont get the calcium you need as a youngster......... answers 3:You need calcium.. where you get it from doesnt really matter. answers 4:No, you dont. Cows milk is meant for CALFS baby COWS not for human consumption. Cows dont take human mothers milk so, why do we take theirs??? answers 5:how about good old fashion milk.... cheap , readlliy aviaible... oh wait.... sorry your a vegan... answers 6:if you are a vegan/ vegetarian some wont be suitable:sardineseggssalmonspinach fortified cereal e.g. Kashi U Black Currants and Walnuts, Total Whole Grain, and Wheatiestunacollard greensorange juicethat about all I could think of... answers 7:Although dairy has been proven over the years to be a major source of usable calcium for individuals it is not the only source available. Some vegetables have calcium although how easily the body actually absorbs this form is still being studied and, of course, there are numerous products out there that have calcium supplements added to them or you can just skip the "middle man" and take calcium supplements which are available in many stores. answers 8:You need a variety of nutrients for strong healthy bones and joints. The dairy industry may have advertised in such a way to promote the idea that it's all about calcium, and specifically that you need calcium in dairy products, but this is not the case. For healthy bones you need calcium (from plant or animal source), you also need magnesium, vitamin K, and phosphorus (available in many plant foods), and vitamin D. You can get vitamin D from bright sunshine on your skin, or you can take a supplement. You also have to avoid over-eating protein, as excess sulphur from animal protein is thought to acidify the body, causing bone loss and osteoporosis. Also avoiding excess alcohol, caffeine, and not smoking, will aid bone health.You also need to do physical exercise, as the impact of walking, jogging, lifting etc helps your bones to strengthen.So calcium is only one factor, but since it's the one commonly quoted, I want to show there are plenty of plant sources of it. (After all, where do cows get their calcium? They only eat plants! Same for any other herbivorous animal, including huge animals like elephants or hippos or gorillas. Even carnivorous animals don't drink milk after weaning, they get their calcium from eating bones and the contents of intestines. No other animal drinks milk except their mother's milk as an infant.) So these are mostly from a Google search for "calcium content of..." and show milligrams of calcium per 100g of the food...Thyme (dry) 1890Dill (dried) 1784Sage (dry) 1652Oregano (dried) 1597Dill seed 1516Poppy seeds 1438Rosemary (dry) 1280Tarragon (dried) 1139Cinnamon 1002Sesame seeds 975Cumin 931Coriander seed 709Caraway seed 689Allspice (ground) 661Chia seeds 631Pepper (black) 443Tahini 426Thyme (fresh) 405Cardamom 383Tofu 350Carob powder 348Chili powder 330Bread (depends on type) up to about 288Mustard seed 266Almonds 264Flaxseeds 255Peppermint (fresh) 243Collard greens (raw) 232Paprika 229Amaranth (leaves) 215Dill 208Molasses 205Garlic (fresh) 181Figs (dried) 162Brazil nuts 160Amaranth (seed) (cooked?) 159Kale 150Parsley 138Turnip greens (boiled) 137Cocoa powder 128Wasabi (fresh) 128Soy milk (with added calcium) 120Soy yoghurt (with added calcium) 120Spirulina (seaweed) 120Mustard greens 115Ginger (dry, ground) 114Hazelnut 114Tempeh 111Sundried tomatoes 110Pak choi 105Pistachios 105Spinach 99Walnuts 98Olives 94Chives 92Peanuts 92Okra 82Sunflower seeds 78Tamarind 74Pecans 70Coriander 67Dates 64Baked beans (tinned in tomato sauce) 61Leek (fresh) 59Miso 57Chocolate (Dark) 56Oats (dry) 54Raisins 50Broccoli 47Peanut butter 43Peas 43Brussels Sprouts 42Celery 40Oranges 40Figs (fresh) 35Kidney beans (cooked) 35Kiwifruit 34Carrot (fresh) 33Wheat flour wholegrain 33Tomatoes (canned) 31Mung beans (cooked) 27Onions 23Lentils (cooked) 19(there are other foods with useful amounts of calcium but that's enough for one list)Compare these to some dairy foods: Cow's Milk 125Yoghurt 110Cream (whipping) 101Cottage cheese 91Eggs (raw) 56Butter 24Of course you don't want to eat 100g of dried herbs or spices at one sitting, but it's good to know that even a teaspoonful or so added to food gives a decent nutritional boost.... answers 9:DEFINITELY NOT!!! Cows milk contains casein which strips calcium from bones. Many studies (look at ones by Dr T. Colin Campbell) found links to osteoporosis and dairy products. Other foods that contain plenty of calcium (and no casein) are dark green leafy veggies such as kale, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, etc and non-dairy milks. answers 10:You can drink.alternative milks such as coconut,almond,hemp and oat milk