Answer : Although strontium is the 15th most abundant element on the planet, its found more in rocks than in food. Strontium is probably best known among people who grew up in the era of atomic testing for its radioactive isotope, strontium90. Because strontium is absorbed by the body similarly to calcium, the radioactive isotope from fallout was incorporated from milk into bones, leading to various bone disorders and cancers.
This similarity to calcium has also led strontium to be studied for bone-health benefits. According to Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of Tufts HNRCA Bone Metabolism Laboratory, “One form of strontium, strontium renalate, is approved for osteoporosis treatment (reduces fractures) in Europe. It is not available in the US. Other forms that have been tested have not been effective.”
Foods vary widely in strontium content depending on levels in the soil where they were grown or where animals grazed. Dairy products higher in fat, such as whole milk, cream and hard cheeses, tend to have higher strontium levels. Vegetables and grains high in strontium include spinach, lettuce, carrots, peas, beans, potatoes, celery, wheat and barley. Seafood, especially “filter feeders” like shellfish, are also sources of strontium.