Got Milk?

Do you get the same bone-building benefits from calcium supplements as you do from dairy foods? Though there’s been surprisingly little research on this, a new study suggests that dairy calcium may be better. Subjects given nonfat dry milk for 10 weeks developed longer, wider, denser, and stronger bones than those given calcium carbonate supplements.

There are caveats, however. For one, the study was funded by the National Dairy Council, which, of course, wants to promote dairy foods. Second, the “subjects” were rats. I don’t normally report on animal studies, since what happens in animals may not happen in people, but I took note of this study because it was done by Dr. Connie Weaver, a highly regarded bone expert at Purdue University.

It’s also unclear why dairy might be better. And since it’s hard to get enough calcium from dairy (or other) foods alone, I still recommend that you fill in any calcium shortfalls with a supplement. Read more-http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2009a/090428WeaverDairy.html