Is it time to rethink dairy products? This is what the 25 years of research for women reveal.

Could your daily milk glass really help prevent fractures as you get old? This historical Finnish study discovers how different dairy options affect bone force and hip fracture risk in older women.

​​​​​​​Study: The long -term consumption of liquid dairy products predicts a lower risk of fracture in aging women: a 25 -year follow -up. Image credit: Pixel-Shot / Shuttersock

In a recent article published in the European Journal of Nutrition, the researchers investigated whether the consumption of dairy products is associated with a lower risk of long -term fractures among older Finnish women. Its findings indicate that consuming more milk in liquid form reduces the risk of osteoporotic fractures and other fractures, while cheese is specifically linked to a reduced risk of hip fractures.

Background

Fractures represent an important global public health concern, especially among older adults, due to their association with pain, disability and early death. In the last 30 years, fracture rates have increased worldwide by more than 33%, mainly due to population aging.

In Finland alone, osteoporotic fractures are expected to increase by 33% between 2019 and 2034. Osteoporotic fractures, which commonly affect the doll, hip and spine, are the most frequent complication of osteoporosis, with approximately nine million cases annually throughout the world. Therefore, preventive strategies have focused on modifiable risk factors, including diet.

Dairy products are widely consumed and contain key nutrients that support bones, such as bioactive compounds, proteins and calcium. However, existing research on its role in fracture prevention has produced mixed results.

While some cohorts studies report a protective effect of dairy products, particularly milk, on the risk of fracture, others have not found association or even greater risk with high milk consumption. A Swedish cohort study markedly linked a great milk intake with a higher risk of fracture, further deepening uncertainty.

A reason for this inconsistency may be the lack of long -term studies with repeated evaluations of dairy intake and verified fracture data.

About the study

This study investigated whether the consumption of liquid dairy products and cheese was associated with a reduced risk of fractures for a period of 25 years in a large cohort of aged Finnish women. It began in 1989, the study included 14,220 participants born between 1932 and 1941.

The respondents reported their dairy intake depending on the daily amounts that consumed liquid dairy items such as yogurt, sour milk and milk in decilitors and sliced ​​cheese per day. They informed any fracture they experienced, including location and time; These were validated through medical records.

To focus on the protective paper of dairy products, the researchers excluded pathological and high -energy fractures, including those resulting from traffic accidents and fall from heights above one meter. Fractures on the shoulder, wrist, column or hip were considered osteoporotic lesions.

The researchers also considered other explanatory factors that could influence the risk of fracture, including physical activity, supplementation with vitamin D and calcium, alcohol consumption, use of medications that affect bones and body mass index (BMI).

The statistical model calculated the time for survival until the end of the study, the last response, death or the first fracture. Risk relationships (HR) were estimated for hip, osteoporotic and fractures through proportional danger models that included covariables dependent on time.

Key findings

This long -term cohort study followed older Finnish women for an average of 17.6 years, which resulted in data from 245,005 people to investigate the link between dairy consumption and the risk of fracture.

During the tracking, 4,358 women reported having experienced any fracture, while 2,326 had osteoporotic fractures and 427 suffered hip fractures.

At the beginning, women with the greatest intake of liquid dairy tend to have a higher BMI and lower supplements. Conversely, the highest cheese consumption was associated with a lower intake of liquid dairy and a lower BMI.

Women who consumed moderate or high amounts of liquid dairy had a significantly reduced fracture risk by 23% and 26%, respectively, and osteoporotic fracture by 31% and 36%, respectively, compared to non -consumption.

This protective effect remained significant in time -dependent models and when dairy intake was treated as a continuous variable. However, the intake of liquid dairy products was not associated with a greater risk of hip fractures.

Cheese consumption did not affect the risk of osteoporotic fractures; However, high intake was associated with a significantly reduced risk of hip fractures by 47% in tight models. However, the authors point out that the relatively low number of hip fracture events may have limited statistical power for this analysis. These findings suggest that liquid dairy products can protect against general and osteoporotic fractures, while cheese can offer specific protection against hip fractures.

Conclusions

This study showed that a greater intake of liquid dairy products was associated with a reduced risk of osteoporotic fractures and other fractures, but not hip fractures. In contrast, cheese intake did not show association with the general fracture risk, but was related to a reduced risk of hip fractures.

These results are aligned with some cohort and test data, although previous meta -analysis have produced inconsistent findings. Biological differences in bones can partially explain the specific effects of the site, since the impact of dairy products can vary between the trabecular bone, which is common in the spine, and the cortical bone that constitutes most of the hip. Factors such as calcium protein relationship and sodium content in various dairy products can also play a role.

An important strength of the study is its long monitoring and the use of repeated dietary measurements, which allow time -dependent analysis. However, limitations include the lack of detailed dietary data to distinguish between different types of cheese, potential memory bias of self -informed intake and the use of binary categorization for the use of supplements. In addition, the homogeneous population can limit generalization.

In conclusion, promoting the consumption of liquid dairy products can help reduce the risk of fractures in populations that age. The study also suggests a potential threshold effect, where the most significant benefit is achieved when it does not pass admission to moderate consumption, with decreasing yields thereafter. However, more research is needed, especially with respect to specific types of cheese and their impact on bone health.