DOES DRINKING MILK PREVENT OSTEOPOROSIS?

By: Enza Tartaglia

The short answer is no.  Milk DOES NOT do a body good.  Osteoporosis is a bone disease that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis, the bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced and the structure of bone is disrupted.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body but why are we lacking in it? The cause of calcium deficiencies is excessive consumption of high-acid foods, such as animal meats, caffeine, refined carbohydrates, refined sugars, alcohol pasteurized milk and dairy products. Pasteurization and homogenization of any animal milk alters its mineral composition, making it acidic to the body. Eating these acid-forming foods forces the body to leach calcium and other minerals from the body, in particular from the bones to buffer the acidity in the bloodstream and maintain an alkaline condition of pH 7.35. Without this protective mechanism, death would result. In short, consuming dairy products creates exactly the opposite effect of what you thought or have been told.

When it comes to supplementation you need more than calcium to support bone growth. Co-factors such as vitamin D3 and magnesium and K2 are required. Others that assist in bone health are strontium, boron and silica.

Raw milk or almond milk are good sources.  Acquiring raw milk is more challenging to acquire but not impossible.  Substitute pasteurized cow milk with unsweetened almond milk or raw goat milk. It is not necessary to drink liquid milk so you can also eat small amounts of raw goat, sheep cheese and plain goat or sheep yogurt or plain kefir. Eating more raw goat products gives you the enzymes needed to digest and absorb the minerals properly. If the taste is too strong for you, you can opt for organic raw cow milk and hard cheeses or plain yogurt/kefir. 

Worst Offenders That Leach Calcium and Other Minerals out of Bone:
-Alcohol
-Cigarettes
-Coffee
-Soft drinks
-Refined sugar (ice cream, chocolate, candy)
-Stress