Can milk for porous bones overcome osteoporosis?

Milk is a drink that is known to be good for bone health because it is high in calcium and vitamin D. However, can milk help to prevent bone loss or slow it down? What about high calcium dairy products specifically for older people? The following is the review.

Is high calcium milk effective for overcoming bone loss?

Milk is said to be mandatory for people who are prone to or already have osteoporosis. Therefore, on the market there are a lot of high calcium dairy products that are sold specifically for parents aged 50 years and over.

Reporting from the International Osteoporosis Foundation, milk is one of the best healthy nutrients for bones. High calcium dairy products are usually intended to strengthen bones in old age to avoid damage. The hope is that by drinking milk you will not experience osteoporosis so that you do not experience fractures.

Unlike cow's milk in general, this high calcium milk is usually included in the skim milk category. Skim milk is milk that does not contain fat, so the calcium level tends to be higher. The content of calcium and vitamin D in it is proven to be good for bone health, including those who have porous bones.

So, is it true that this type of milk is recommended to slow osteoporosis? A study published in Osteoporosis International tested this in postmenopausal women.

This study used a high calcium skim milk product specifically for women aged 50 years and over. About 200 subjects aged 55 to 65 years were divided into two categories. The first category was given two glasses of high calcium skim milk every day while the other group was not.

The results showed that high calcium skim milk was able to reduce the percentage of bone mass lost. This evidence comes from comparing with a group who did not drink milk.

Therefore, research concludes that drinking high calcium skim milk can help reduce bone loss. This is especially seen in the spine and hips of postmenopausal women.

However, research on milk for porous bones is still the pros and cons

On the other hand, milk in general still cannot be ascertained as a mandatory nutrient to slow bone loss.

The reason is, there are several studies that state that milk does not have any effect on bone loss or osteoporosis.

In a study in the BMJ, it was found that drinking milk regularly did not reduce the risk of fractures. In fact, it is thought that the lactose and galactose content in milk triggers oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. However, further research is needed to conclude this.

Research published in the Joint Bone Spine also found similar evidence. It was stated that there was no conclusive evidence that a person needs to regularly drink cow's milk to reduce the risk of fractures.

Even though the research is contradictory, you shouldn't be confused. Drinking milk will not harm your health. Because in milk there are many nutrients that are good for overall body health.

You can drink high calcium skim milk to get the important benefits of calcium and other nutrients.

InDietary Guidelines for Americans, adults are recommended to drink 3 cups of milk per day. However, you can adjust this drinking rule to what is stated on the product packaging.

Other sources of calcium besides milk

Calcium is the main building block of the body's skeleton. About 99 percent of the 1 kg of calcium found in the average adult body resides in bone.

Therefore, bones become a reserve place to maintain calcium levels in the blood. If the body doesn't get enough calcium, the reserves that are in the bones are taken away.

This is what makes a person need to continue to consume calcium so that there are reserves so that the bones remain strong.

Apart from milk, there are many other sources of calcium which are also good for porous bones. The following include:

Whole grains

Grains are a good source of calcium and magnesium. Calcium is proven to be good for maintaining bone density. While magnesium plays an important role in maintaining bone health and strength.

Similar to calcium, magnesium is a mineral that makes bones and teeth stronger and stronger. The reason is, magnesium plays a role in the absorption and metabolism of calcium.

In addition, magnesium also plays a role together with the thyroid and parathyroid glands to produce bone preservative hormones. Not only that, magnesium also helps regulate parathyroid hormone by controlling bone damage.

This mineral is also required to convert vitamin D into its active form. As a result, magnesium deficiency can increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially in women.

For that, you can consume various seeds ranging from pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and others.

Nuts

Nuts are also included as foods that are good for bone health in addition to milk. Walnuts, for example, are rich in calcium, alpha linoleic acid, and omega 3 fatty acids which reduce the rate of bone damage. Apart from walnuts, brazil nuts and soybeans are also classified as nuts that are good for bones.

Green vegetable

Green vegetables contain lots of nutrients needed for bones. Calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K are among the nutrients that are abundant in green vegetables.

Vitamin K is a substance that helps form bone protein and reduces the loss of calcium in urine. When the level of vitamin K in the body decreases, the risk of hip fracture increases.

To get maximum benefits, consume a variety of different green vegetables every day. Broccoli, spinach, and mustard greens are among the types of vegetables that you can try.

Photo courtesy of: Rheumatology Advisor