Then there’s the dairy problem. Some experts tout milk to get your daily dose of calcium and vitamin D, yet studies show among its problems, dairy can raise insulin levels (due to being high in the sugar lactose) and create acne. Never mind that 75 percent of the world is lactose intolerant. (Although anyone who’s suffered lactose intolerance knows it’s one heck of a reason to skip dairy.)

Dr. David Ludwig argues that "humans have no nutritional requirement for milk, and it may be doing us more harm than good because of all the sugar even plain nonfat milk contains." Milk’s reputation for building strong bones might be slightly exaggerated. Studies show countries that drink the most milk have the highest levels of osteoporosis and the Nurses' Health Study, which tracked 77,761 nurses over 12 years, found the biggest milk drinkers had the biggest bone fracture risk.

While milk provides some calcium, its fortified vitamin D comes as ergocalciferol (vitamin D2), which studies show is poorly absorbed compared to the cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) naturally found in foods like sardines. If you’ve got to have milk, opt for dairy from A2 cows, raw (if you can find it), or organic full-fat milk from grass-fed cows. But you can do just fine without dairy; here are some other ways to optimize bone health: