Parents are advised to make sure their kids drink milk and eat other calcium-rich foods to build strong bones. Soon, they also may be urged to make sure their kids eat salmon, almonds and other meals high in nutrient magnesium -- another nutrient that may play an essential part in bone health, according to a researched presented Sunday, May 5, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.

"Many nutrients are key for kids to have healthy and balanced bone fragments. One of these is nutrient magnesium," said lead author Steven A. Abrams MD, FAAP, professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Calcium is essential, but, except for those kids and adolescents with low intakes, may not be more essential than nutrient magnesium."

While it is known that nutrient magnesium is essential for bone health in adults, few studies have looked at whether nutrient magnesium consumption and absorption are related to bone nutrient material in youngsters. This research aimed to fill that gap.

Researchers recruited 63 healthy and balanced kids’ ages 4 to 8 years old who were not taking any multivitamins or nutrients to join in the research. Children were put in the hospital overnight twice so their magnesium and calcium nutrient levels could be calculated.