More Dairy Linked with Higher Bone Density and Spinal Strength in Men over 50

By Jane Farrell

Researchers have discovered that higher intake of dairy foods like milk, yogurt and cheese is linked with higher bone mineral density and spinal strength in men over 50.

The finding, from investigators from Hebrew SeniorLife’s Institute for Aging Research (IFAR), Wageningen University, Tilburg University, University of Reading, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), was published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Density.

In women, researchers found no significant results except for a positive association of cream intake in the cross-sectional area of the bone.

Study participants included 1,522 men and 1,104 women from the Framingham Study, aged 32-81 years. Researchers examined quantitative computed tomography (QCT) measures of bone to determine associations with dairy intake

Shivani Sahni, Ph.D., Director Nutrition Program and Associate Scientist at IFAR and senior author of the study, said, “This study related dairy intake with QCT- derived bone measures, which are unique because they provide information on bone geometry and compartment-specific bone density that are key determinants of bone strength. The results of this study highlight the beneficial role of a combination of dairy foods upon bone health and these beneficial associations remain irrespective of serum vitamin D status in a person.”