Is it true that drinking a lot of milk helps strengthen bones?

(Dan Tri) - Up to now, the notion that "drinking a lot of milk helps strengthen bones" has been ingrained in the minds of many people. However, medical experts are still questioning the accuracy of this belief.

Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health , has warned about the scientific basis of this message.

“The idea that humans need a lot of calcium is based mainly on short-term studies lasting a few weeks. These studies only track biological changes over a limited period of time, which has become the mainstay of promoting daily milk consumption,” he said.

Although calcium is an essential nutrient for nerve, muscle, cardiovascular function and bone health, experts emphasize that the human body only needs a certain amount.

US dietary guidelines recommend that adults consume 1,000-1,200mg of calcium per day. But this threshold remains controversial, with other countries such as the UK recommending only 700mg.

In modern life, milk is a nutritional supplement chosen by many people (Illustration: Pexels).

One important thing experts want to warn is that no one needs to drink cow's milk to meet their calcium needs.

According to Christopher Gardner, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, in the US, more than 1/3 of people have difficulty digesting lactose in animal milk. Therefore, drinking cow's milk to supplement calcium is not necessary. People can completely supplement calcium from many other sources besides traditional cow's milk.

In fact, according to a 2020 review, people living in countries with the lowest hip fracture rates tend to drink the least milk. A meta-analysis of several large studies also concluded that drinking more milk was not associated with a lower risk of fractures.

Dr. René Rizzoli, former Head of the Department of Bone Diseases at Geneva University Hospital (Switzerland), emphasized that bone health depends a lot on exercise and overall diet.

"People should not rely on milk alone to eliminate the risk of fractures," he shared.

In addition, excessive milk consumption, especially in young children, can cause many serious health problems such as forming incorrect eating habits, skipping meals, and slow weight gain.

In addition, drinking too much milk leads to excess calcium compared to the body's needs. When the body has excess nutrients, the digestive and excretory organs have to work harder, creating a burden on these organs, which is not beneficial for the body.

Too much calcium in the body causes competition with iron absorption. Iron in the body is easily pushed out, cannot be absorbed, causing children to become anemic.

However, experts also admit that milk is one of the most convenient calcium supplements. In case of intolerance to animal milk, consumers also have many other alternative sources such as tofu, fish, seafood, green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified plant milks.

Among them, the best choice for adding calcium to the body is fermented dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. Dr. Rizzoli points out that these products not only support the gut microbiome but are also easier to tolerate in people with lactose sensitivity.

Nutritionally, a 42g serving of Cheddar cheese has the same amount of calcium as a cup of whole milk.

Although the “essentiality” of milk is questioned, ensuring adequate calcium intake is a top priority for children and adolescents aged 9 to 18 years (the period of most rapid growth) and older adults, especially after age 50 (the period of rapid bone loss).

Explaining the biological mechanism behind this need, Dr. Gardner said that the elderly body often does not absorb enough calcium, accompanied by a decline in the adaptive mechanism with age. This forces the body to take more calcium from the bones, causing the bones to weaken severely.

Bone health is a complex process that requires a balanced combination of adequate calcium, vitamin D, weight-bearing exercise and a varied diet. Milk can contribute to this process but is not required for healthy bones.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/su-that-uong-nhieu-sua-giup-xuong-chac-khoe-20251028063402352.htm