Study: Does Dairy Affect Bone Mineral Density?

A new study found a correlation between high dairy intake and increased bone mineral density (BMD) among Puerto Rican adults, specifically in patients with sufficient vitamin D levels.

The cross-sectional analysis included 904 patients (mean age, 70 years; mean body mass index, 32.3 kg/m²) from the Boston Puerto Rican Osteoporosis Study. About three-quarters (75%) of patients were female, of whom 87% were menopausal. Researchers divided dairy among groups: total dairy, modified dairy (without cream or dairy desserts), fluid dairy (milk and yogurt), cheese, yogurt, and cream and desserts. Researchers analyzed results overall and stratified results based on vitamin D sufficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] ≥20 ng/mL) or insufficiency (<20 ng/mL). Among patients with sufficient vitamin D levels, mean serum 25(OH)D was 26 ng/mL; for insufficient patients, it was 14.3 ng/mL.

Among the overall cohort, researchers observed a correlation between higher intakes of modified dairy foods (β = 0.0015, P = 0.02) and milk (β = 0.0018, P = 0.04) and higher femoral neck BMD. When stratified by vitamin D sufficiency, among sufficient patients, increased intakes of total dairy (P = 0.03–0.07), fluid dairy (P = 0.01–0.05), and milk (P = 0.02–0.09) were positively correlated with higher femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD, respectively. There was no significant association between dairy intakes and BMD among the insufficient patients.

“Dairy food intakes were associated with higher BMD among adults, particularly those with sufficient vitamin D status,” the researchers observed, suggesting, “Future studies should confirm findings longitudinally and assess culturally acceptable lifestyle interventions to improve bone health among Hispanic adults.”

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Source: The Journal of Nutrition