Everybody knows a healthy body needs calcium, but the Harvard School of Public Health wants you to know that, “milk isn’t the only, or even best, source.”  Their website The Nutrition Source details some of the better ways to get calcium which include non-dairy sources such as the green leafy vegetables bok-choy and collard greens as well as fortified soy milk and baked beans.

While traditionally, dairy was touted as the primary way to meet dietary calcium requirements, high saturated fats and vitamin A found in dairy products actually weaken bones and increase chances of prostate and ovarian cancers. Harvard’s website also outlines other aspects of calcium intake and your body including details about osteoporosis, how osteoporosis can be slowed down and growing healthy bones.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine also addresses questions regarding dairy versus vegetable sources for calcium intake in their article “Frequently Asked Questions About Nutrition.”

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