Heather Bedard, C.H.E.
Let's get started right off the bat by taking on some sacred cows, if you know what I mean - starting with dairy. If you grew up anything like me, cow's milk was a staple of a healthy diet. If you weren't drinking cups of it morning, noon, and night, you were at risk for osteoporosis or breaking a bone at the slightest fall. Mom's everywhere dutifully fed it to their children to make sure they were getting adequate calcium for strong bones.
But let's get this right...milk has calcium, which gives you strong bones, which keeps you from fracturing easily, right? Actually, no. According to a case control study in teenagers, calcium intake and milk drinking are not related to hip fracture risk. (1) Exercise is really the greatest contributor to bone density and health. Even with all the emphasis on increasing calcium intake, the percentage of people age 65 or older who have osteoporosis has stayed the same or increased from 1996-2011.
While calcium is a critical component of bones, that doesn't mean that more is better. High calcium intake is associated with higher fracture risk in a study drawn from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. (2) There are many reasons for this, but we will address two main ones here. One - milk is high in protein which is very acidic. The body, in an effort to stay in homeostasis, leeches calcium from the bones to counteract the acidic protein. This in turn weakens the bones.(3) Secondly, milk ingested by humans contains high levels of IGF-1 and branched chain amino acids which also increases the level of IGF-1. IGF-1 increases the risk of hip-fracture and many cancers. Furthermore, studies do not support the idea that drinking cows milk supports bone mineralization in children. Taking in over 400-500mg of calcium does not increase bone density either. A healthy level of calcium can be ingested with whole foods such as spinach (235mg in 1 cup) and broccoli (100mg in 1 cup). (4)
There are many other concerns with the consumption of milk including high levels of estrogen due to the cows often being pregnant when milked, the make up of the milk because it is being created for a 100lb calf, and the amount of antibiotics used in the feeding of the cows.
Perhaps it is time to stop crying over spilled milk and try an alternative that can support your body more effectively.
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1. Nieves JW, Grisso JA, Kelsey JL. A case-control study of hip fracture: evaluation of selected dietary variables and teenage physical activity. Osteoporos Int. 1992;2(3):122-127. doi:10.1007/BF01623818
2. Fang A, Li K, Guo M, et al. Long-Term Low Intake of Dietary Calcium and Fracture Risk in Older Adults With Plant-Based Diet: A Longitudinal Study From the China Health and Nutrition Survey. J Bone Miner Res. 2016;31(11):2016-2023. doi:10.1002/jbmr.2874
3. Margen S, Chu J-Y, Kaufman NA, et al. “Studies in calcium metabolism. I. The calciuretic effect of dietary protein. “ Am J Clin Nutr 27 (1974)L584-589
4. Lanou AJ, Berkow SE, Barnard ND. Calcium, dairy products, and bone health in children and young adults: a reevaluation of the evidence. Pediatrics. 2005;115(3):736-743. doi:10.1542/peds.2004-0548