By Shereen Lehman, MS 
Medically reviewed by Stuart Hershman, MD on April 03, 2020

Osteoporosis is a health condition in which your bones have become weak. There are a number of risk factors for osteoporosis, including sex (occurs more often in women), age (more likely to happen when you're older), activity level (the more active you are, especially in weight-bearing exercise, the lower your risk), and body size (smaller and thinner people are at greater risk). Family history and ethnicity are important, too (it's more common in Caucasians and Asians). Finally, diet can also impact your risk.​

Will Drinking Milk Decrease My Risk for Osteoporosis?

Probably not. Drinking milk may help you get adequate amounts of daily calcium, but there are many people with adequate bone density who do not drink milk. In addition, unfortunately, getting adequate calcium alone will not prevent osteoporosis, nor will it minimize the risk of getting it. To best minimize your risk of developing osteoporosis, you're better off focusing on maintaining a healthy overall diet and getting regular weight-bearing exercise.

Still, most people don't get enough dietary calcium, so try adding a serving or two of daily milk or yogurt to your diet. Other dairy products include sour cream, cream cheese, or regular cheese.

Choose low- or non-fat milk and dairy products whenever possible to avoid extra calories and saturated fat. Or choose calcium-fortified soy, almond, or rice milk.

Some people believe milk will rob calcium from your bones because it causes an acidic state in the body, but this isn't true.

How Can I Get Enough Calcium?

You can take calcium supplements, or consume foods that have added calcium such as calcium-fortified orange juice or breakfast cereal. Canned salmon with bones is a natural non-dairy source of calcium, and most dark-green vegetables contain some calcium. If you decide to take supplements, be sure to follow the dosage directions on the label or check with your health provider about how much to take.