Milk Alone Not Enough To Reduce Risk Of Osteoporosis

Q. I am concerned about osteoporosis. If I drink a lot of milk, do I need to take a calcium supplement?

A. Absolutely. Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated that calcium supplementation can retard bone loss. However, the data are inconclusive in regards to a high dietary calcium intake and prevention of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Particularly debatable is the effect of milk on bone health. It is interesting to note that countries with the highest dairy intake have the highest rate of hip fractures per capita.

In analyzing data from the Nurses’ Health Study, which included 77,761 women, aged 34 through 59 years, researchers found no evidence that higher intakes of milk or calcium from food sources actually reduced fracture incidence. In fact, women who drank two or more glasses of milk per day had a 45% higher incidence of hip fracture compared with women consuming one glass or less per week. The data simply do not support the idea that “every body needs milk” and do support the important role of calcium supplementation in reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Michael Murray, ND, is one of the world’s leading authorities on natural medicine and a contributor to the Healthnotes, Inc., team of experts. Dr. Murray is the author of A Textbook of Natural Medicine, Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, and The Healing Power of Herbs. He also authors Dr. Murray’s Electronic Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, an exclusive Healthnotes product.

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