Study Confirms That Dairy Does Not Prevent Bone Loss Or Fractures

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA News Nutrition

Evidence-Based
6 min Read
dairy does not prevent bone loss

Did you know that June is National Dairy Month? It was established in 1937 as a way to promote the supposed health benefits of milk and dairy products.

Yet more and more scientific data keeps bringing to light that dairy does not provide health benefits. In fact, a study further confirms the misinformation about dairy and offers reassurance that Savers are on the right track. Published in Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society, researchers set out to test the long-held misconception that dairy can prevent bone loss and fractures in women across the menopausal transition.

Today we'll take a close look at this fascinating study which further confirms that the Medical Establishment’s recommendations to drink milk for bone health have been wrong all along.

A Study On Dairy And Bone Loss

The authors of the study investigated the relationship between dairy consumption and three very specific outcomes: lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD), femoral neck BMD, and fracture risk. Their work is in part a response to the continued assertion from the Medical Establishment that dairy products offer bone health benefits.

The authors wrote the following about that assertion:

“The 2015 to 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend that adults consume three servings per day of low- or nonfat dairy products or alternatives (eg, fortified soymilk). However, the relevance of dairy product consumption for longterm bone health has resurged as some observational studies have suggested consumption to be associated with an increased risk of fractures.”1

The researchers specifically looked at women across the menopausal transition, using data about dairy intake, BMD test results, and fractures from the participants in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Ultimately, they assessed 10 years of femoral neck BMD analysis of 1,109 women and BMD analysis of the lumbar spine for 1,097 women.1

They broke dairy consumption down into four groups based on servings per day:

  • Less than half a serving
  • 0.5 to 1.5 servings
  • 1.5 to 2.5 servings
  • 2.5 or more servings

The analysis of the data they used accounted for different outcomes due to race/ethnicity, age, height, weight, smoking status, physical activity, alcohol consumption, calcium use, menopausal status, and total caloric intake.

Synopsis

A study compared daily dairy intake to changes in lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD and risk of bone fracture. Researchers tracked the femoral neck BMD of 1,109 women and the lumbar spine BMD of 1,097 women.

Study Concludes That Dairy Doesn't Improve Bone Health

The findings of this study were so remarkably clear that the researchers put the outcome right in the title of the report: “Dairy intake is not associated with improvements in bone mineral density or risk fractures across the menopause transition.” The authors elaborate in the conclusion, which reads as follows:

“There was no evidence on beneficial effects of dairy intake on annualized rates of femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD loss or risk of fractures among middle-aged women, regardless of baseline menopausal status or method used to classify dairy intake.”1

Regardless of confounding variables (weight, age, supplemental status, etc) the women participating in the study received no benefit from consuming dairy products.1

All those years of advertising about the bone health benefits of dairy were (and are still) wrong. Furthermore, we're learning more about the adverse effects of drinking milk, and fewer people are consuming dairy milk at all. In fact, the biggest milk producers in the United States have recently declared bankruptcy, in part due to plummeting demand tied to increased awareness of the truth about milk.

Synopsis

The study authors found that dairy consumption does not benefit bone mineral density nor reduces fracture risk.

The Truth About Milk

As this study clearly concludes, milk is detrimental to your bones and builds on previous research on milk that has found that it negatively affects bone quality and overall health.

First and foremost, dairy milk is acidifying. Like any acidifying food, consuming too much causes serum acidification that triggers the body's natural mechanism for alkalizing its pH — pulling alkalizing calcium from bones.

That's the reason why studies have linked the consumption of dairy products and increased risk of fracture.2

Furthermore, dairy milk has been linked to health problems including:

  • The development of multiple sclerosis3
  • Increased risk of breast and prostate cancer4
  • Triggering the development insulin-dependent diabetes5
  • Allergic response6

In a pH-balanced 80/20 diet, 80 percent of the food should be alkalizing, and only 20 percent acidifying, so it's important to choose nutrient-rich and healthy acidifying foods. Dairy milk, produced commercially via processes that involve hormones, pesticides, and unsanitary conditions, is simply not a healthy addition to your diet.

Fortunately, there are more dairy-free alternatives than ever! The Save Institute recommends almond milk as a replacement for dairy milk in all your recipes and beverages. Other non-dairy milks are also acceptable alternatives, but unlike almond milk, they're acidifying (except for soy milk).

Synopsis

Milk is acidifying, and its impact on your pH results in bone mineral loss. Furthermore, milk is linked to many health conditions, including multiple sclerosis, breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, and allergic response.

What This Means To You

This study comes as no surprise to Savers. The dairy milk industry has spent decades spreading misinformation, even convincing the Medical Establishment to believe faulty data. We are finally seeing the broader understand just how unnecessary and potentially harmful milk is.

Switching to a non-dairy alternative is exactly the sort of diet and lifestyle change that the Osteoporosis Reversal Program teaches. There's no one single simple fix to living a healthier life and building stronger bones, but when you choose a natural drug-free path, every step you take improves not just your bone health, but your overall wellness and quality of life.

Stop Worrying About Your Bone Loss

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Join thousands of Savers from around the world who have reversed or prevented their bone loss naturally and scientifically with the Osteoporosis Reversal Program.

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References

1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32404792/

2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8154473/

3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3065662/

4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21557887

5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1797491

6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17628647