My teenage daughter is a vegan and there is a history of osteoporosis in the family. Will her diet make her more at risk?
Megan, via email

It’s important your daughter gets good nutritional advice to make sure she gets enough calcium and vitamin D.

However, the Garvan Institute of Medical Research compared the bone health of 105 postmenopausal vegan Buddhist nuns and 105 non-vegetarian women in Vietnam. Even though the nuns’ calcium intake was only 370mg a day when the recommended is 1000mg to 1200mg, and their protein intake was very low at 35g a day, the bone density of the two groups was the same.

While not encouraging a vegan diet due to potential risks, the authors say fruit and vegies may have a positive effect on bone health. They also say factors such as the nuns’ active lifestyles, or exposure to sunshine, may play a part.

For healthy bones, make sure your daughter engages in plenty of physical activity and spends up to 15 minutes a day in summer, or 30 in winter, in the sun to get a healthy dose of vitamin D.