You need at least 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily from food or supplements. Dairy products and soy foods are great dietary sources of calcium. The recommended daily dose of vitamin D, which aids in calcium absorption, is between 400 and 800 IU per day. The most common dietary sources of vitamin D are shellfish, milk and fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin D also is found in most multivitamins.
Exercise is the next step.
Exercises such as walking, jogging, stair-climbing, dancing and tennis have the dual benefits of increasing bone density and improving balance and agility. Screening may be the most important component of your bone health plan. If you are a woman, get an evaluation for the risk factors of osteoporosis at menopause. In the absence of risk factors, get a bone mineral density test by age 65. Because men begin to lose bone at the same rate as women at around age 65, this also is a good time for men to begin their screening programs.