The milk myth? Milk 'does little to strengthen bones and can double the risk of early death'

The white stuff may not be alright after all...

By Dave Lancaster |

17:58 29 October 2014

A 20-year-study that tracked the diets of 61,000 women and 45,000 men has concluded that the intake of milk does not help reduce bone damage.

Milk has long been heralded for its calcium-boosting, bone-strengthening qualities but the study traced no reduction in the amount of broken bones.

In fact, the results showed that milk could actually be detrimental. Those who drank three or more glasses a day were actually twice as likely to die early when compared with those who drank less than one glass a day. With women there was an increased risk of bone fractures as well.

The study’s lead author, Professor Karl Michaelsson, of Uppsala University in Sweden, said: “Our results may question the validity of recommendations to consume high amounts of milk to prevent fragility fractures. A higher consumption of milk in women and men is not accompanied by a lower risk of fracture and instead may be associated with a higher rate of death.”

Gaynor Bussell, a public health nutritionist, was quoted by The Telegraph: “There may be another factor causing the increased mortality and fracture rate in women. Milk is a convenient source of calcium as well as many other vitamins and minerals. One such study is insufficient to base public health decisions on.”

However, Dr Louis Levy, of Public Health England, advised the public not to rush out and change their diets just yet: “The authors advise caution in interpreting the results and are not recommending that anyone stops drinking milk or eating dairy products.”