Increasing Calcium in diet for Osteoporosis

My late mother had osteoporosis in her final years so I've become far more aware of the condition. I too read about calcium deposits on arteries apropos of taking those tablets, which alarmed me so much at the time I stopped. I try to factor calcium into my diet via daily Greek yogurt and other relevant food stuffs like salmon. Load bearing exercises are quite important for bone strength and that was something I did quite a bit at the gym before Covid struck, I've let all that lapse somewhat but I need to start going again.

Oh dear, since my osteoporosis diagnosis I have been drinking 3 to 4 mugs of milk a day, thinking it is doing me good After reading the above
comments I'm not so sure now, so will revert to one mug a day.

Sardines do have a lot of calcium, I wonder how you can make them palatable?
I do eat lots of green leafy veg, plus greek yoghurt every day, almonds are good. Tofu is another thing I struggle to enjoy.

I feel like it needs to be something you like to build in enough to stop the tablets.

@Farmor15 thanks for that, I need to look into thatmore as I was hoping to massively increase my milk intake as one easy win

Tinned bony fish like sardines and tinned salmon are a good source of calcium. The canning process softens the bones so you can eat them, but not everyone likes this type of fish.

I broke my arm 2 years ago and my wrist this year, leading to a diagnosis of Osteoporosis. I have been given a prescription for m 5mg Folic ACID to be taken daily and told to eat lots of dark green vegetables - Which I have always done anyway. Unfortunately, I have an allergy/incompatibility to all things cheesy, including yoghurt, cremefraich, etc. so have never, knowingly eaten these since birth. Each episode when I have swallowed a mere mouthful by mistake has lead to a week of sickness and diarrhea until it gets out of my system.
What could I safely eat that contains Calcium but not the bacterium that converts milk into the cheesy stuff?

Sorry this link is so long!
health.clevelandclinic.org/can-drinking-too-much-milk-make-your-bones-more-brittle/#:~:text=A%20Swedish%20study%20suggests%20that,of%20fracture%20and%20hip%20fracture.

Information about dairy products as a source of calcium is rather contradictory. I had read some years ago about a long term study in US about milk drinking and osteoporosis - that study suggested that milk was not very helpful.

The article linked to above suggests "Make sure you’re eating an adequate amount of calcium by including cheese, yogurt, greens (collards, kale), soybeans, figs, broccoli, oranges, sardines and salmon (with bones) and many fortified foods into your food rotation."

I was surprised when I found my bones weren't great some years ago when I signed up for a study on the effect of exercise on bone health. When I was younger, I drank a lot of milk and took plenty of exercise. But I preferred swimming and cycling to weight bearing exercise, so it didn't do me much good. However, after a year of the exercise programme - weights, jumping with straight legs and various other quite strenuous stuff, my bones did improve, without any drugs or supplements. But most participants in the study dropped out as their bodies weren't able for the kind of exercise needed to help bones!

You are right though, the foundations of good bones are built in your teens and 20s. I wish I could go back in time and tell my 13 year old self to eat more calcium and do some exercise

I didnt know that, thank you.

Well, I did do exercise but did I eat enough calcium-rich foods?

I was very underwhelmed with the information I got from doctors about osteoporosis. After a year of me asking for a bone scan my Rheumatologist finally agreed. When I saw him again he just said by the way you have osteoporosis I will get your GP to prescribe something.
It's only from my own reading up on the subject I have learned about it. You need more protein - no-one told me that. Impact excercise makes a difference - no-one told me that.

You are right though, the foundations of good bones are built in your teens and 20s. I wish I could go back in time and tell my 13 year old self to eat more calcium and do some exercise.

There seems to be very little evidence that taking calcium supplements actually helps osteoporosis.

I am on the same medication as you plus the calcium tablets. I had not heard about calcium affecting arteries. But I do remember reading years ago that once someone has been diagnosed with osteoporosis it is far too late to take calcium anyway as it is ineffective. Does anyone really know? I am never happy taking anything really but I suppose we have to have faith in the doctors.