Chicago, March 7 (Reuters): Children who drink more milk do not necessarily develop healthier bones, researchers said today in a report that stresses exercise and modest consumption of calcium-rich foods such as tofu.

The US government has gradually increased recommendations for daily calcium intake, largely from dairy products, to between 800 and 1,300 mg, to promote healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis.

But the report, published in the journal Pediatrics, said boosting consumption of milk or other dairy products was not necessarily the best way to provide the minimal calcium intake of at least 400 mg per day.

Other ways to obtain the absorbable calcium found in one cup of cow?s milk include a cup of fortified orange juice, a cup of cooked kale or turnip greens, two packages of instant oats, two-thirds cup of tofu, or 1-2/3 cups of broccoli.

?The available evidence does not support nutrition guidelines focused specifically on increasing milk or other dairy product intake for promoting child and adolescent bone mineralisation,? lead researcher Amy Lanou wrote.

In a review of 37 studies of children older than seven, researchers at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington found 27 did not support drinking more milk to boost calcium.