Does Milk Make Bones Stronger? (2024)

FAQs

Does Milk Make Bones Stronger? ›

The connection between drinking cow's milk and bone health comes down to one thing: calcium. Calcium is an essential mineral, meaning our bodies need it to survive. It plays a role in the health of your heart, blood and nervous system. Most importantly, we need it to build and maintain bone mass and healthy teeth.

“If you want to drink milk for strong bones, I recommend no more than one glass a day,” says Dr. Cresci. “Do this in addition to a mixed diet rich in calcium.

Drinking milk is associated with a lower risk of age-related muscle loss in several studies. In fact, higher consumption of milk and milk products has been linked to greater whole-body muscle mass and better physical performance in older adults ( 18 ). Milk has also been shown to boost muscle repair in athletes.

To keep bones strong, you need to get that calcium from food or supplements. You can get calcium from milk, cheese, and yogurt. Leafy green vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kale are also important sources of calcium.

Low-fat milk has a higher calcium content by weight than whole milk. An 8-ounce cup meets 29% of your daily value of calcium. Skim or no-fat milk has all of the milk fat removed from it. As a result, it has fewer calories and a higher percentage of calcium by weight.

Having a proper peak bone mass and keeping it as long as possible is especially important for osteoporosis prevention. One of the most important calcium sources is milk and dairy products. Breast milk is the best infant food, but milk should not be avoided later in life to prevent losing bone mass.

The Bottom Line. If you aren't lactose-intolerant or allergic to dairy, it's totally OK to enjoy a regular glass of milk each day. From improving bone health to helping mitigate cognitive decline, drinking milk and incorporating other dairy items into your diet can come with some health benefits.

Low-fat, skim or 1% cow's milk are healthier options compared to 2% or whole milk. They contain less fat. “If you can't have cow's milk, soy milk and rice milk are often the healthiest milk for gut health – especially for people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation,” Park said.

Too much milk can lead to health problems such as iron deficiency anemia and protein loss from the gut. While it is true that milk can be a great part of a healthy diet for children, too much milk can lead to health problems such as iron deficiency anemia and protein loss from the gut.

Bone broth is full of vital minerals, including calcium and magnesium. The collagen-rich drink not only provides essential building blocks for bones, but it also provides strong support to bone structure.

Is banana good for bones? ›

Banana contains a prebiotic named- Fructooligosaccharides. Fructooligosaccharides help to enhance the ability of the body to absorb calcium. Hence, this prebiotic may help to improve the bone health of your body.

Unbreakable bones – the LRP5 gene

However, a different mutation in the LRP5 gene can also cause an uncommon disorder in which bone density is greatly increased making the bones very strong and resistant to fractures.

If you're looking for bone-strengthening fruits, figs should be near the top of your shopping list. Five medium fresh figs have around 90 milligrams of calcium and other skeleton-saving nutrients like potassium and magnesium.

Eggs. Good news for breakfast lovers: Eggs contain a nice amount of vitamin D and can improve bone health. Vitamin D is found in the yolks only, so if you tend to eat egg white omelets, you'll have to get your vitamin D elsewhere. Another breakfast item, orange juice, is often fortified with vitamin D and calcium.

Iron helps your body make collagen to rebuild bone. It also plays a part in getting oxygen into your bones to help them heal. Good sources: Red meat, dark-meat chicken or turkey, oily fish, eggs, dried fruits, leafy green veggies, whole-grain breads, and fortified cereals.

MyPlate, a nutrition guideline published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, recommends between 2 and 3 cups of dairy each day, depending on the person. Dairy milk is often a readily available and affordable way to get your calcium.

Men and women should aim to consume three cups of milk each day. A cup is equal to 8 ounces of milk or yogurt. Cheese also counts! One and a half ounces of hard cheese is equivalent to one cup of milk when it comes to nutrition.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recommends drinking one to two glasses of milk daily. For the six billion people around the world who regularly consume milk, that adds up to 2.4 billion liters every day – or the capacity of 960 Olympic swimming pools.