Wednesday, July 15, 2009 Linda asks

Q: Can milk damage your body AND your bones?

I read book review that said that claims that calcium is bad for you. The book review said:

So while milk contains calcium, our bodies leech even more calcium

> from our bones to neutralize the effect of milk in the body.

> This explains why a Harvard Nurses' Health Study found that women who

> consumed the most calcium from dairy foods broke more bones than those

> who rarely drank milk (Source: Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ,

> Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium and bone fractures in women: a

> 12-year prospective study. Am J Public Health 1997).

I would like to know how much truth is there in these claims?

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Answers (1)

Pam Flores, Health Guide

7/16/09 6:39pm

Hi Linda, welcome and thanks for your question. I believe that there will always be this milk is good versus milk is bad debate for ever. All you can do is read as much as possible and come to your own conclusion. You'll notice that for every pro milk study there will be one against it.

Of course there are those who can't drink milk and would have to get their calcium from some other source so it depends on how your body reacts to it as well or if you have any medical problems that milk makes worse, like lactose intolerance, allergies, etc.

I get most of my calcium from veggies and dairy but not milk and my calcium levels are good and my 24 hour urinary calcium is always normal.

Good luck figuring out which way to get calcium is best for you, but don't forget we need the recommended amounts of D for the calcium to be absorbed. Here's an article that will explain some of the debate on this from Osteopenia3.

Linda

7/16/09 7:46pm

Hi Pam,

Thank you for answering my questions. I was asking on behalf of my mother who, I think is taking Fosamax (the once a month pill), and wants to be off of it because she is concerned about its side effects. She is 75 and I think (again) she has been diagnosed with Osteopenia (the precursor to Osteoporosis?). She is quite active, working out at the gym every day and very tiny (95).

I agree with you that for every study there is a counter study! I'll pass your information on to her and maybe get her to join this online community.

Linda

Pam Flores, Health Guide

7/16/09 8:00pm

Hi Linda, I just wanted to mention that the FDA has a approve a new application for Reclast that is given every 2 years for those with osteopenia, instead of the usual once a year dose. This may be something of interest to her. I don't have the dosage amount of it yet, but the trial that was done by Novartis said it prevented osteopenia from progressing to osteoporosis.

Here's an article on it if you want to read it from Reuters.

Good luck to you and your mom and congrats on helping her to advocate for herself and helping her to have someone to discuss this with.

Pam Flores, Health Guide

7/16/09 8:04pm

Hi agian, and I really hope your mom could join us here to get some insight from members and educate herself on all of this. Low body weight, isn't good for rebuilding bone, so if she could gain some weight that may help. The optimum weight recommendations depending on height is not to be below 127 #'s. Low weight isn't good for our bones, but I know it's hard to put into practice.

Hang in there and your a great daughter!!!

Linda

7/16/09 8:35pm

HI Pam,

She is only 4'9"! I don't think she could bear 127 #'s on her little body She is a health food fanatic and takes good care of herself. I want her around for a long time.

I will get her to join the community. I just forwarded to her your comments and the Osteopenia article. I also saw another on this website that looked interesting. She has definitely sent me on a quest!

Take Care,

Linda

Q: Can milk damage your body AND your bones?

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