Hi I’m new here
I have Osteoporosis and high cholesterol, I’m on meds for both but the food side of things is so conflicting.
For my oesteoporosis I have to ‘up’ my calcium intake -so milk cheese etc dairy full of things I shouldn’t be having
For my cholesterol I’m told to ‘reduce’ the intake of them
So where’s the fine line between them ?-
Surely I’m not alone - any advice greatly appreciated
While dairy is a rich source of calcium, there are other foods that provide calcium, not just dairy. I use ChatGPT to help with recipes and guidance.
Aww thank you never crossed my mind
ROS have just produced a new guide on calcium rich foods: https://strwebprdmedia.blob.core.windows.net/media/p4fnriqr/calcium-printable-version-october-2025.pdf
The sections on ‘fruit and vegetables’, ‘carbohydrates’ and ‘protein’ have plenty of non-dairy options for calcium rich foods.
I eat a varied diet with all the Ca rich foods but still find Calcium blood levels are often borderline so I take a supplement as insurance. Not the chalk pills (Adcal) they offer on the NHS but a calcium citrate supplement I found on Amazon that is better absorbed than calcium carbonate and is combined with Vit D3, K2, zinc and moringa. Not allowed to advertise here but it’s on Amazon and very reasonable :0)
There are plenty of low fat and fat-free dairy products in all the supermarkets, which all contain calcium. I use fat-free Greek style yogurt and 50% less fat cheddar and of course, there are lots of calcium-rich foods listed on the NHS and ROS websites.
Don’t forget green vegetables, nut and fish has calcium
Thank you all x
I agree that the advice around food and also about what supplements are actually helpful and recommended is not that easy to sort out. Does anyone know of any nutritionist/dietician who specialises in osteoporosis, and could really give individualised support?
Choose low fat foods. Greek yoghurt fat free but don’t go for flavour just natural is best and avoid strained. Dried figs and prunes are good as is oranges. Drink skimmed or semi skimmed milk. Nuts like almonds are also good
Received wisdom nutritionally is that cholesterol levels are not affected by cholesterol we eat. Our bodies make it. Most of our brain is cholesterol, so it’s not per se a bad thing. Worth checking out to set your mind at rest and help with your nutritional challenges.
It is possible to get low calorie dairy without compromising calcium or flavour. I use Sainsbury’s Fat Free Greek Style Yogurt at breakfast and dessert in the evening. Also skimmed milk, no butter and half-fat cheddar.
Look at these:
Hi, I’m Vegan and that may help on the cholesterol front. I eat tofu, (ensure it has a calcium not magnesium ingredient so avoid the Japanese bean curd), seseme seeds, tahini rich hummous, oat milk with calcim dairy free yogurt ditto etc. Just look up Vegan calcium for a list. I love coconut in foods but that is one of the few that has cholesterol. I have a family history connected to that and so far ok.. I’ve never. Been calcium deficient but GP thinks I should take supplements, consultant not in agreement. I do weights at the gym to help. Good luck.