Do you remember the “Got Milk” advertisements featured on television commercials and social media? Perhaps your grandparents or parents told you to drink milk to strengthen your bones as a child. These two factors have led to an increase in dairy consumption over the past several years. The question is: Do we need dairy to meet our vitamin D and calcium requirements?

Let’s first define calcium and vitamin, as well as why they are so important for bone growth. As you might know, calcium is an essential mineral our bodies use to build teeth and muscles. It also helps us contract our cells. You can find calcium in the foods you eat and nutritional supplements. Vitamin D is also important for bone growth, absorbing calcium and phosphorous. Vitamin D can be obtained from sunlight, food sources and supplements. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption. It can also increase the likelihood of osteoporosis (brittle bone disease). Calcium and vitamin D deficiencies can also lead to rickets in children younger than 5 years old and weakness in the muscles of children and older adults.

The Dietary Reference Intakes (also known as DRI) recommends calcium intakes of 1,300 mg for children 9-18 years old, 1,000 mg for those aged 19-50, and 1,200 mg for those 51-71 years old and older. For children aged 12 months and older, 400 IU is recommended, 600 for those aged 1-7 years, 800 IU for people over 70, and 800 IU per day for those who are more than 70.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that calcium can be obtained from many other sources than dairy products. Soy foods, green leafy greens such as Brussel sprouts greens, cabbage turnips greens and nuts, and seeds such as flax seeds, Chia seeds and almonds can provide calcium. You can also get calcium from beans, lentils and enriched foods like breakfast cereals and fortified orange liquid.

Vitamin D can be obtained from many food sources, including soy and almond milk, egg yolks, egg yolks, egg yolks, fortified orange juice and beef liver. You don’t have to eat only dairy products to get the required nutrients.

The dairy industry wants us to believe that milk is the only way to get calcium and vitamin D. You can still get these nutrients from other foods or supplements. It doesn’t matter if you choose to get calcium and vitamin D from milk products or any other food source; it is still important to meet your dietary needs.