Milk may increase risk of fractures – and death – in men and women but the opposite is true for cheese and yoghurt

A high intake of milk is associated with a higher risk fractures and a higher rate of death in men and women, says a large study published in the British Medical Journal. The findings call into question advice that people at risk of osteoporotic fractures should have a diet rich in dairy products.

Two groups of people in Sweden were involved: 61,433 women aged 39–74 years at the start of the study; and 45,339 men aged 45–79 years at the start of the study.

The women were followed for an average of 20 years. In that time, 15,541 women had died and 17,252 had a fracture.

By analysing questionnaires, the experts found that drinking milk did not reduce the risk of fracture. In fact, women who drank more than three glasses of milk a day (average 680ml) had a higher risk of death than women who drank less than one glass of milk a day (average 60ml).

The men were followed for an average of 11 years. In that time,

10,112 men died and 5,066 had a fracture.

Although less pronounced than in the group of women, men also had a higher risk of death with higher milk consumption.

But eating milk products such as yoghurt and cheese reduced inflammatory markers and was associated with lower rates of fracture and death, particularly in women.

“Our results may question the validity of recommendations to consume high amounts of milk to prevent fragility fractures,” the researchers say. But “a cautious interpretation of the results is recommended” because the study is based on food questionnaires so does not show definitive cause and effect.

Click here to read the original research.

Image credit: Chris Pelliccione

Subscribe to Arthritis Digest, the UK’s fastest growing arthritis magazine for all the latest arthritis news, reviews and celebrity interviews. You’ll know what your doctor is talking about, what new drugs are in the pipeline and be up to date on helpful products. Hard copy and digital versions both available. Click here for more information.