PREVENTING OSTEOPOROSIS: IMPROVING BONE HEALTH IN ADULTS

 In general, scientific data indicates that milk and milk products contribute to the maintenance of bone mineral density and the prevention of bone loss in adults. However, bone mineral density is considered to be the most important risk factor for fractures due to frailty. Therefore, protecting bone mass is critical to preventing osteoporosis, frailty fractures, and disability in older adults and seniors.  

 

Dairy products, including milk, yogurt, and cheese, are associated with improved bone mineral density.

Consumption of dairy products attenuates bone loss and is associated with a reduced risk of osteoporosis.

Dairy proteins are associated with higher bone mineral density, while plant proteins are associated with lower bone mineral density.

 

Scientific data

 

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized studies, prospective cohort studies and case-control studies published in 2019 examined the effect of fermented milk products on indicators of bone health in postmenopausal women. She revealed the following 1  :

 

Yogurt and cheese reduced markers of bone resorption;

Yogurt was associated with  a 24% reduction in the risk  of hip fracture;  

Cheese showed no association or showed an association of protection against osteoporosis.  

A meta-analysis of 15 randomized studies (n=1533) was conducted in 2015 by Tai et al. to examine whether increasing calcium intake from dietary sources affects bone mineral density in adults over 50 years of age 2 .

 

Increasing dietary calcium intake resulted in a slight increase in bone mineral density at all sites except the forearm.

Similar results were obtained when the analyzes were restricted to dairy calcium intake only.

A meta-analysis of randomized studies performed in 2013 examined the effects of milk consumption on bone mass and markers of bone turnover. The analysis by Ma et al. included 11 studies, for a total of 2397 participants (adults and children). The authors concluded that milk has a favorable impact on bone density and reduces bone loss 3 . Compared to the control group, participants who consumed milk had increased whole-body bone mineral content and bone mineral density as well as decreased markers of bone turnover associated with bone loss.

 

A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and case-control studies investigating dairy products and fracture risk was published in 2019 by Matía-Martín et al. and assessed dairy product consumption and changes in bone mineral density . The authors noted that available data suggests that lower dairy intake is linked to lower bone mineral density over time. Milk and dairy products play a beneficial role in protecting bones throughout life. Moreover, positive associations have been revealed between:

 

Childhood and adolescent milk consumption and hip bone mineral density in women;

Milk consumption after the age of 65 and bone mineral density in the arm, at the wrist.

In 2018, Biver et al. published the results of their longitudinal analysis of bone microstructure in community-dwelling older women . This prospective cohort study followed 483 healthy postmenopausal women from the Geneva Retirees Cohort. At the start of the study, women who consumed fermented dairy products (i.e., yogurt, cream cheese, quark, and kefir) had larger bone sizes, and there was a greater low prevalence of osteoporosis among those who consumed milk and fermented milk products. Over the approximately 3-year follow-up period, this study revealed the following:

 

Consumption of fermented milk products was associated with lower bone loss, independent of total energy, calcium, and protein intake;

Women who consumed fermented milk products also had lower levels of markers associated with bone loss.  

In 2015, Langsetmo et al. published findings from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos) 6 . This prospective cohort study assessed protein intake and the links between various protein sources and bone mineral density in 6,510 men and women. In adults aged 50 and over followed for 5 years, the study found that:  

 

Dairy protein was associated with  higher bone mineral density ;

Plant proteins were associated with  lower bone mineral density .

 

Conclusion

 

The totality of the data indicates that the consumption of dairy products is beneficial for bone health in older adults and seniors.  

 

Consumption of milk and dairy products improves bone mineral density and reduces bone loss. Research also indicates that certain nutrients in dairy products, including calcium, vitamin D and protein, promote bone health.

 

Preserving bone mineral density plays an important role in preventing osteoporosis and reducing the risk of frailty fractures.