Doubt has been cast on the theory that drinking plenty of milk early in life can help people avoid bone fractures later down the line in a large US study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

The association between teenage milk consumption and risk of hip fracture at older ages was examined in a study of more than 96,000 people with a follow-up of over 22 years.

There was no link between teenage milk consumption levels and hip fracture frequency in women. But men who drank a lot of milk between 13 years and 18 years actually saw an increased risk of hip bone injuries. Every additional glass of milk per day as a teenager was associated with a 9% higher risk among males. The association was influenced by height.

“We did not see an increased risk of hip fracture with teenage milk consumption in women as we did in men,” says Dr Diane Feskanich, who led the work. “One explanation may be the competing benefit of an increase in bone mass with an adverse effect of greater height.

“Women are at higher risk for osteoporosis than men, hence the benefit of greater bone mass balanced the increased risk related to height.”

The message is that drinking milk during adolescence is recommended to achieve peak bone mass, but it can lead to greater height too, which is a risk factor for hip fracture.

More research is on the menu

To read the original research visit http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1769138.