Pro

Edmund Renner, PhD, Dairy Science Section of the Faculty of Agriculture at Justus Liebig University, wrote in his Sep. 6, 1994 article "Dairy Calcium, Bone Metabolism, and Prevention of Osteoporosis," published in the Journal of Dairy Science, that:

“Calcium intake through milk and milk products… has a direct and distinct effect on the bone parameters of young adults. [Our research] shows that bone mineral content of both groups rises as calcium intake increases through milk and milk products, but the same amounts of calcium led to higher bone mineral values in young males than in young females.

For elderly subjects, we also studied whether calcium intake via milk and milk products during different periods of life affected the bone parameters in advanced age. The evidence was clear that calcium intake via milk and milk products, particularly in childhood and adolescence, is essentially responsible for the bone mineral content in the elderly.

Calcium intake via milk and dairy products of the male and female osteoporotic subjects had been markedly lower during childhood and adolescence (55 and 46%, respectively) than that of their age-matched controls. This finding confirms that inadequate calcium intake during these early periods of life is a decisive risk factor for the development of osteoporosis.

These findings lead to the conclusion that an adequate calcium intake-which can best be ensured through milk and milk products-is not only a prerequisite for optimal bone formation but also a means to prevent enhanced bone resorption. This association is of special relevance for osteoporotic patients. Adequate calcium intake via milk and milk products was an important protective factor against bone resorption for both male and female osteoporotics, as expressed by the 40 to 50% reduction of the serum osteocalcin.”

Sep. 6, 1994