We have all heard the words when we were children that we should drink milk to strengthen our bones. Milk contains calcium. Calcium is also known as an essential mineral for bone density. However, it is not easy to prove that there is a definite link between milk consumption and strengthening of bones.
To prove this, an experiment needs to be conducted with two large clusters, one of which has been drinking a lot of milk over the years while the other group is given a placebo drink in the form of milk. But it is difficult to implement this in practice.
Instead, the following can be done: Asking thousands of people how much milk they drank in the past years and then observing for at least 10 years to determine whether fewer bone fractures are observed in regular milk drinkers.
Harvard University in the USA conducted such a study in 1997. 77 thousand female nurses were observed for 10 years. However, there was no significant difference in the number of cases of arm and hip fractures between those who drank one glass of milk a week and those who drank two or more glasses.
ITS EFFECT CONTINUES FOR 2 YEARS
A peer-to-peer result was obtained in the one-on-one research conducted by the team with 330 thousand men.
When 15 different studies in this area were reviewed by a group from New Zealand in 2015, it was observed that a calcium-rich diet, including milk, increased bone calcium density for two years, but then this increase stopped.
As an alternative to dietary calcium, calcium supplementation can be made with pills. However, there are concerns that the supports have a negative effect in the long run.
When the New Zealand group reviewed 51 studies and compared the long-term advantages and negative effects of calcium supplementation, they found that bone strength stopped after a year or two.
Calcium supplementation did not stop age-related loss of bone density, only delaying it. The group concluded that this corresponded to only a small reduction in the rate of fracture in bones.
Just as the information was analyzed in different countries, different proposals emerged for the measure of calcium that should be taken daily. For example, the suggested size in the US was close to twice that of the UK and India. In the United States, it is recommended to drink about three glasses of milk a day.
In a 2014 study conducted in Sweden, it was concluded that drinking more than three glasses of milk a day does not bring more benefits for bones, and may even be harmful.
In research by Uppsala University and the Karolinska Institute, people were first asked how much milk they drank in 1987, then the same question was repeated in 1997.
When the death rate in these mid-humans was examined in 2010, it was seen that those who drank a glass of milk a day had more bone fractures and early death rates.
ARE CHEESE AND YOGURT BETTER THAN MILK?
However, this research also had some problems. People were asked how much milk they consumed in previous years, it might not be possible to assume this without error, because milk consumption could be in different ways.
Moreover, the biggest problem in this kind of research was manifested here as well: Are the two events really in contact with each other or are there really a cause-effect relationship?
Another confusing result in the same study was that cheese and yogurt consumption were associated with a lower incidence of fractures.
While advising people on nutrition, researchers say that these results are too early to support, and that peer-reviewed studies should be repeated. Based on these results, it is recommended to be cautious about changing the diet.
In short, we can say that, according to the available information, there is no problem in continuing to drink milk. Milk can be beneficial for bone health. However, this benefit may not be as long-term as we think.
It is also necessary to apply other procedures that are effective in terms of bone health. To get enough vitamin D through exercise and nutrition, sunlight, and supplementation with vitamin D in winter where there is not much sun.
