Brown rice contains one of the best kept secrets of bone health: magnesium.

Yes, calcium is still key when it comes to keeping bones strong. But magnesium -- something lots of older adults don't get enough of -- is another bone builder your body needs. And brown rice is a great source.

3 Bone Builders

For optimal bone health, RealAge experts recommend the following daily amounts for healthy people:

• Calcium: 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day (broken up into three doses a day)
• Vitamin D: 400 international units (IU) per day (as a supplement) if you're under age 70 or 600 IU per day if you're over age 70
• Magnesium: 400 mg per day for women and 333 mg per day for men

Check your intake with this diet questionnaire.

More Foods for Your Frame
Soy lovers also get a good amount of magnesium, but if tofu isn't your thing, opt not only for brown rice but also for spinach and other green leafy vegetables; salmon; fortified cereals; whole-wheat pasta; oatmeal; and cashews. (Use this online tool to size up the magnesium content in your favorite foods.)

Many people don't know they are at risk for osteoporosis until a bone breaks. Check your osteoporosis risk.

Magnesium intake from food and supplements is associated with bone mineral density in healthy older white subjects. Ryder, K. M., Shorr, R. I., Bush, A. J., Kritchevsky, S. B., Harris, T., Stone, K., Cauley, J., Tylavsky, F. A., Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2005 Nov;53(11):1875-1880.