Drinking milk has long been promoted as
positive for building stronger bones. But it
seems drinking milk as a teenager does not
reduce the risk of hip fractures later in life
and can even increase the risk for men,
according to new research published in JAMA
Pediatrics.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
from the US Department of Agriculture and
the Department of Health and Human
Services recommend consuming three cups of
milk a day or equivalent milk products as a
good way of getting a dietary intake of
nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D.
Calcium is a chemical element that is known to
build and maintain strong bones. Researchers
from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, led by
Diane Feskanich, say that drinking milk during
adolescence is recommended in order to
achieve optimum bone mass, and it is
expected to help reduce the risk of hip
fractures and osteoporosis later in life.
However, they note that evidence of these
associations has been unclear, and that higher
milk consumption is known to contribute to
height growth – a risk factor for hip
fractures.
With these points in mind, the investigators
analyzed more than 96,000 men and women
from the Nurses’ Health Study and the
Health Professionals Follow-Up Study in order
to determine whether teenage milk
consumption has any effect on hip fractures
later in life.
Participants from the Nurses’ Health Study
reported their milk consumption as teenagers
in 1986, while those from the Health
Professionals Follow-Up Study reported
theirs in 1988.
All study participants were followed for more
than 22 years. During this period, women
reported 1,226 hip fractures while men
reported 490.
‘Increased risk of 9%’ for every glass of milk
Of those who consumed four or more glasses
of milk a day as teenagers, men were on
average 1.9 cm taller as adults than men who
consumed two or fewer glasses a week, while
women were 1.7 cm taller.
Overall, men reported higher consumption of
milk in their teenage years than women, with
2.1 glasses per day, compared with 1.6.
However, milk consumption in men between
the ages of 13 and 18 was associated with
higher risk of hip fractures later in life, and
every additional glass of milk each day
increased this risk by 9%.
The researchers note that the increased risk
of hip fractures in men was partially
influenced by their height.
Explaining their findings, the researchers say:
“Milk consumption in early life not only builds
bone mass but also increases height, and
height is a risk factor for hip fractures in
later life.
This was true in our cohorts, where risk was
increased by approximately 5% per
centimeter. A mediating effect of height can
partially account for our observed positive
association between teenage milk consumption
and hip fractures in men, as risk was
attenuated when height was added to the
model.”
The investigators found no association
between milk consumption in women and
increased risk of hip fractures.
Concluding their study, the researchers write
that higher milk consumption during teenage
years did not translate into a reduced risk of
hip fracture for older adults, and a positive
association was observed in men.

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