Bone Health and Osteoporosis

The calcium and other nutrients in milk products are essential for building and maintaining strong bones during childhood, reducing bone loss during adulthood and preventing osteoporosis.

Synopsis: Bone Health and Osteoporosis

Milk product consumption is recognized as a key factor in bone health and in the prevention of osteoporosis. There is very good evidence that calcium and vitamin D, two essential components of milk, play important roles with respect to attaining...

Keywords: bone health, osteoporosis

Definitions, Situation of Osteoporosis in Canada and Risk Factors

Osteoporosis is a disease with its roots in childhood, as bone size, strength, and mineralization peak in one's 20s. Since bone mass declines with advancing age and menopause, individuals who attain optimal peak bone mass during their younger years will have an advantage as they get...
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Bone Health: Studies in Adults and the Elderly

Data from NHANES III was used to determine whether milk intake during childhood and adolescence, when controlled for current calcium intake, was associated with adult bone mineral content, bone mineral density, and the incidence of osteoporotic fractures in 3,251 non-Hispanic white women...
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Bone Health: Studies in Children and Adolescents

A meta-analysis published in 2008 of 21 randomized controlled trials consisting of 3,821 children aged 4 to 17 years (82% of whom were female) on the role of milk products and dietary calcium on bone mineral content in children revealed a number of benefits: Among studies of children with...
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Role of Vitamin D in Bone Health

In a meta-analysis published in 2009, the impact of vitamin D supplements in preventing nonvertebral and hip fractures among older individuals (65 years and older) was evaluated: The studies included 12 double-blind randomized controlled trials for nonvertebral fractures (n= 42,279) and 8...
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Role of Protein in Bone Health

In a review paper by renowned bone health expert Robert P. Heaney and protein metabolism expert Donald K. Layman, the evidence related to protein and bone health was examined: Loss of bone mass (osteopenia) and loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) that occur with age are closely...
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Role of Other Nutrients in Bone Health

Nutrients other than calcium and vitamin D that have been implicated in bone health are outlined in Table 2.
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Role of Calcium Supplements in Bone Health

Several studies have demonstrated that milk products are superior to calcium supplements alone, likely due to the role of other nutrients found in milk products that have also been shown to be important for bone health. Only one head-to-head study has addressed the role of calcium...
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Milk Products and Bone Health: Potential Mechanisms

A review of potential mechanisms for calcium and vitamin D in bone health are outlined as follows: ¹
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Scientific Evidence Keywords

What's New

Calcium Supplements and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

There is evidence from meta-analyses that calcium supplements are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, dietary calcium has not been shown to impair cardiovascular...
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Milk: An Essential Source of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 deficiency affects a large proportion of older adults, and its prevalence increases with age. Furthermore, recommended intakes may not be adequate to reach and maintain optimal vitamin...
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Milk Products and Breast Cancer

Current evidence from the literature indicates that the consumption of milk products is not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
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Milk Products Play a Key Role in Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

A growing and largely consistent body of evidence, including data from several meta-analyses, demonstrates that milk products significantly lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
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The Maritime Dairy Industry Award

If you are from the Maritimes and you are studying in a field that applies to the dairy industry, you are eligible to apply for the Maritime Dairy Industry Award, which consists of two $2,000 scholarships.
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Featured Topics

Hypertension

Learn more about the scientific evidence on hypertension and the impact of milk products in its prevention, as well as the effects of other lifestyle factors.
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Kidney Stones

Evidence indicates that an adequate or higher consumption of milk products does not increase the risk of developing kidney stones.
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Cancer

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