Strontium is a mineral that occurs naturally in soil all over the world. It has a chemical composition that is similar to that of calcium, and the body can use it in bone creation. A 2004 study conducted by doctors at Edouard Herriot Hospital in Lyons, France, found that strontium provided a greater increase in bone strength and a decrease in bone fractures than calcium supplements for people with osteoporosis. Strontium is very common, which means that people consume trace amounts of strontium from many foods.
Grains
Grains, such as wheat, corn, rye and rice, absorb strontium from the soil as they grow. Foods made form grains, such as bread, cereal, pasta and rice dishes, are among the most common dietary sources of strontium.
Vegetables
Like grains, many vegetables absorb strontium from the soil. The best sources of strontium come from beans, legumes, leafy greens, such as lettuce, kale and spinach, along with root vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots.
Seafood
All forms of seafood are good sources of strontium. Clams, oysters and mussels are particularly rich sources of strontium, because these creatures filter nutrients from the sea floor and the sediment floating in the water.
Dairy
Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, cream and butter, contain strontium from the grass cows eat. A study published in the Journal of Dairy Science found that strontium is concentrated in the whey of milk products, so the amount varies depending on how much solid material is in the food. Hard cheeses, such as cheddar, have the most strontium, while cream cheese contains the least.
Strontium-90
Foods that contain strontium also have small amounts of the radioactive form, called strontium-90. However, the Environmental Protection Agency states that the amounts most people ingest from their diet are too small to cause harm. People who consume large amounts of strontium-90 from food grown in areas that experienced heavy fallout from nuclear weapons may develop a bone density issues or, with continued exposure, bone cancer and leukemia.
References
- National Institutes of Health; Public Health Reports; Strontium 90 Content of Wheat; Arthur S. Fleming; April 1960
- National Institutes of Health; British Medical Journal; Strontium in Diet; F.J. Bryant, et al.; June 1958
- Dr. Myatt's Wellness Club: Strontium
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Strontium and Your Health
- Journal of Dairy Science; Variations in the Transfer of Radiocesium and Radiostrontium from Milk to Cheese; B. Besson, et al.; November 2009
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; The Effects of Strontium Ranelate on the Risk of Vertebral Fracture in Women with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis; P.J. Meunier, et al.; January 2004
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