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Milk: Hands Down Still the Best Bet to Slow the Bone Mass Loss that Occurs As We Age

Women tend to lose bone mass at a greater rate then men as we age. Drinking three glasses of calcium rich milk per day can slow the bone mass loss for both genders. Good old fashioned cow’s milk is better than most plant based milk alternatives and more reasonably priced.

| 12 Jul 2024 | 11:27
    Good old fashioned low fat cow’s milk beats most plant based milk alternatives when it comes to packing in extra vitamins. Cow’s milk is better than almond, oat and most other plant based alternatives. Only soy is comparable to cow’s milk in terms of nutritional value according to the FDA. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
    Good old fashioned low fat cow’s milk beats most plant based milk alternatives when it comes to packing in extra vitamins. Cow’s milk is better than almond, oat and most other plant based alternatives. Only soy is comparable to cow’s milk in terms of nutritional value according to the FDA. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
    Aside from carrying more healthful ingredients than most plant based milk alternatives, the traditional low fat milk from a cow can be up to 20 percent cheaper than the alternatives at the checkout counter.
    Aside from carrying more healthful ingredients than most plant based milk alternatives, the traditional low fat milk from a cow can be up to 20 percent cheaper than the alternatives at the checkout counter.

As you age into your 50s and beyond, men and women both tend to suffer the loss of bone mass. Drinking three glasses of calcium rich milk daily can slow the process considerably, health experts say.

And the loss of bone mass is a problem that is more pronounced in women as we age.

That’s because in the first five years after menopause, when levels of bone-building estrogen drop quickly, women may lose as much as two percent of their bone mass. As time goes by, they may lose half their trabecular bone (the spongy bone in their vertebrae and at the rounded ends of the long bones in arms and legs) plus more than 30 percent of their cortical bone (the dense bone in the middle of the long bones).

At the same time, men lose only a quarter of all bone combined, a difference that may explain why women are more likely to develop osteoporosis and suffer broken bones.

Twenty-five years ago, a still well-regarded study from the American Dietetic Associations tracked 204 healthy men and women age 55 to 85 and found that those who added three glasses of calcium-rich low-fat or skim milk a day to their normal diet lost 13 percent less bone.

For those who consider milk kid stuff, the easy alternative may seem to be calcium pills. But that is not necessarily a good quick fix. That is because older people tend to have diets low in more than one vital nutrient so milk is still a better bet, says Cleveland Clinic dietician Michelle Saari. Her point? Not only does milk’s protein and calcium improve bone strength, reduce fracture risk, aid in wound healing, and prevent malnutrition, but virtually all pasteurized cow’s milk sold in this country also has plentiful vitamin D added to ferry the calcium into bones. In addition, milk delivers the B vitamin riboflavin to prevent cell damage, vitamin B12, phosphorus, magnesium, and iodine to support muscles and growth, and zinc to protect your immune system,

With so many milk alternative products on the market it can be difficult to know which type to choose. Surprise: All cow’s milks are equally beneficial. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for calcium is currently 1,200 mg for post-menopausal women, 1,000 for men age 19 to 70 and 1,200 after that. Which milk you choose is your choice: Whole milk, two percent and one percent low-fat milk, and no-fat skim milk all deliver 300 mg calcium per eight-ounce cup. Reconstituted dry milk is a 10 mg less. Sweetening your milk with chocolate makes it sweeter but doesn’t not affect the calcium content. And if you prefer your milk for dessert, check out ice cream: Haagen Dasz vanilla bean has 270 mg calcium per cup.

As for the newly popular plant-based milk alternatives, the FDA notes that their nutritional content varies. Right now, soy beverages fortified with calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D are the only plant-based alternatives with a nutrient content similar enough to milk to be included in the dairy group in the Federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

So, what should you look for when choosing plant-based milk alternatives?

“The nutrients you get from plant-based milk alternatives can depend on which plant source is used, the processing methods, and added ingredients, so check the label carefully,” stated Susan Mayne, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a recent newsletter from the FDA. “Has the product been fortified with nutrients such as calcium? How much added sugar is in the product? What is the protein content?”

“The Nutrition Facts label on the packaging can help you compare the nutrient content of the various plant-based milk alternatives to milk,” noted Dr. Mayne in the same FDA newsletter. “The label can help you choose the best products to meet your nutrient needs and those of your family.”