Does milk really helps strengthen bones?

Currently, the milk is synonymous with strong bones. Has long been a recommendation by most doctors to their patients. All above eight years of age shall include at least three glasses of milk in their daily diet. However, in recent years various experts began to question the true benefits of milk in the construction and maintenance of bone mass. Does milk really helps strengthen bones?

One of the main components of the milk is calcium. This mineral gives structural strength to bones and teeth and helps the human body to perform other functions such as blood clotting and the transmission of nerve impulses. Normally, the body absorbs calcium you need through diet but, if the diet is poor in this mineral, the body begins to remove calcium from the bones and teeth, making them weaker. Hence the recommendation of daily ingestion of milk or dairy products.

However, in recent years, many researchers have come to argue that milk can cause a loss of calcium in bones. The theory, known as "ashes of acid", argues that the digestion of milk produces acidic residues that make urine (and as such, the body) more acidic. To compensate for this acidification, the body will seek to alkaline mineral reserves-to neutralize the acidity â€" like calcium.

After this theory have been submitted, some scientists have tried to disprove and in 2011 argued that the hypothesis was across-the-Board and fallacious, referred to the Huffington Post. These researchers argue, for example, that the pH of urine is not indicative of body pH. Additionally, parallel studies argue that the consumption of milk makes the urine more alkaline and acid-free.

Although other parallel studies argue that the rate of bone fractures is greater in countries that consume more dairy products, research published in 2011 indicate that there are other factors influencing bone health beyond the type of diet practiced, such as physical activity, genetics and weight. In fact the higher rate of bone fractures in developed countries may be due to overweight and sedentary and not the consumption of milk.

The discussion on the ingestion of milk continues to be controversial in the scientific community. However, in General, the investigations indicate that the consumption of dairy products is beneficial to bone health, in part because of the other nutrients that make up milk beyond calcium.

Foto: Rob Ellis '/Creative Commons

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