Brace yourself. I may be about to challenge one of your most dearly held beliefs about food. There is a commonly held perception that you must eat dairy frequently to prevent your bones crumbling. But when you examine the evidence, this just isn’t so.
For some people, consumption of dairy foods is actually harmful, bringing on skin rashes, digestive upsets, sneezing, and sometimes even a low mood. And yet when I suggest that they give the dairy a miss for a few weeks to see if they benefit, the reaction is often shock and horror: “But I’ll develop osteoporosis!”
An epidemiological study is a great resource for health evidence, because they normally include thousands of people over many years. (Clinical research generally includes only about 100 people over weeks to months; not an adequate amount of time to investigate a slow-progressing body change like bone formation).
So I was delighted to come across a peer-reviewed epidemiological study published in the American Journal of Public Health. It included 77,000 women aged 34-59 over 12 years. The study concluded that high intake of calcium from dairy or other food didn’t provide protection against bone fracture. In fact, women who consumed large amounts of dairy actually developed a higher risk of hip fracture. (Here's a link to the article http://bit.ly/p1hkwb )
From a non-scientific (but common sense) perspective, consider that there are many cultures in the world where dairy just isn’t part of the daily diet; and osteoporosis isn’t any more of a problem.
Its true, healthy bones do need calcium; it’s such an important mineral for us that it appears in almost all food sources (but almonds, seafood and green leafy vegetables are particularly good non-dairy sources). Bone cells are more likely to grow from regular pressure stimulation (another reason to get out there walking, running or dancing to stimulate your bone strength). A healthy estrogen level is important too, as this important hormone for females promotes bone formation.
But dairy isn’t essential in large quantities. So if you suspect that dairy food might not agree with you, why not give it a miss for a few weeks and see how you feel. The evidence indicates that your bones won’t crumble from it.
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