Closing the U. S. phytonutrient gap could help improve Americans' bone health, says a nutrition expert.

Those who fail to eat enough fruits and vegetables are likely not getting enough bone-building calcium and vitamin D as well, says Keith Randolph of Nutrilite Health Institute in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Americans who met the recommended daily intakes of fruits and vegetables averaged 1,110 mg/day of calcium and 244 International Units/day of vitamin D, were found by Randolph and colleagues.

However, those not meeting fruit and vegetable guidelines averaged 880 mg/day of calcium and 184 IU/day of vitamin D.

It was also noted by the study that requirements vary for age, but minimum calcium intakes should be between 1,000-1,200 mg/day and for vitamin D between 200-600 IU/day.

Randolph says in a statement, "It's like a double impact, if you fail to eat enough fruits and vegetables, you are also likely not getting enough bone-building nutrients like calcium and vitamin D from all food sources in your total diet either."

It was further suggested by Randolph that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables and mixing up the colors to ensure plenty of healthy phytonutrients, including lutein in green foods such as spinach, lycopene in the red tomatoes, quercetin in white onion and yellow/orange beta-carotene in carrots. (With Inputs from Agencies)