 |
 |
 |
Milk Does Not Protect Bones |
 |
|
|
|
Milk Does Not Protect Bones |
|
 |
||||||
| Milk Does Not Protect Bones, Group Says A vegetarian group claims drinking milk does not protect bones from osteoporosis and that fruits and vegetables are a better source of calcium. The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine says consumers benefit more by getting their calcium from green, leafy vegetables and orange juice. "It is vital to understand that milk is useless against osteoporosis, so that people will understand what really does help," says Dr. Neal Barnard, president of PCRM. According to the PCRM, an 8-ounce serving of orange juice contains 350 milligrams of calcium, 130 mg. of which are absorbed by the body. By comparison, an 8-ounce serving of milk has 291 mg. of calcium, 93 mg. of which are used by the body. The group's claims are based on two studies. The first, the Harvard Nurses' Health Study, looked at 78,000 women over a 12-year period and found milk-drinkers suffered more bone fractures than women who did not drink milk. The National Osteoporosis Foundation says people can get their calcium intake from a variety of places, and should not consider milk is useless. "The vast majority of evidence from well-controlled clinical trials clearly shows that calcium from foods or supplements increases bone mass in younger people, decreases bone loss in older individuals, and, in association with vitamin D intake, substantially decreases the risk of osteoporotic fracture," says the foundation's Dr. Robert Heany. "We have to go with the facts. Milk works." The foundation recommends that people get 1,200 mg. of calcium a day. A glass of milk contains about 300 mg. About 28 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis. Health experts recommend low-fat dairy products as a source of calcium. |
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |