One explanation, researchers say, may be that milk’s lactose gets converted to galactose as it’s metabolized, causing oxidative stress, or damage, throughout the body, which studies in animals suggest can result in bone loss, inflammation, cardiovascular stress, and other signs of aging. But don’t swear off your morning latte quite yet. It’s not clear enough from this evidence to conclusively say that milk is the major reason behind the increased fractures and mortality, says Jeri W. Nieves, PhD, associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at Columbia University. The researchers found an association, not proof. Other dietary and lifestyle factors such as excessive consumption of salty, sugary, and caffeinated foods, lack of physical activity, and limited sunlight exposure could be partially to blame. “The key here is moderation,” says Nieves. The “risk” observed in this study was for women who drank three or more glasses of milk a day, while one glass of milk a day had little effect on risk of fracture or mortality. She recommends getting your calcium—1000 mg a day (1,200mg for women over 50)—from a variety of food sources, including milk (check out this list of calcium-rich food sources). Milk is actually thought to be a top source of calcium because of its lactose, which may increase calcium absorption, Nieves says. One glass of milk yields about 300 mg of calcium, plus good amounts of vitamin D, beta-carotene, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. But you may want to strongly consider consuming some non-milk dairy, too. Fermented dairy products such as yogurt and kefir, as well as cheese—all big on calcium and low in lactose—actually helped protect against hip fractures and mortality, according to this study. Brie anyone? MORE: The Best Milk Is…
