Mailbag! Milk's Ugly Secret

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

You’ve got questions…

We’ve got answers!

Bone loss is a serious concern as we age.

So you do what you can — you work out and eat a healthy diet that includes calcium-rich dairy, all in hopes that you’ll have strong bones well into your golden years.

But it turns out eating all that dairy may not be the bone-strengthening secret the mainstream has made it out to be.

Unless you’re taking it with a certain vitamin, that is.

Let’s dive in…

Natalie,

I’ve been eating dairy for years because my doctor tells me it’s good for my bones. But just yesterday, my neighbor told me I have to take vitamin D with dairy or it’s not going to protect my bones as well. My doc has never mentioned this before. Is this true? And if so, isn’t there already vitamin D in milk? Should I be taking more?

Thanks,

Julie L.

Excellent question, Julie. Many folks have questions about the role dairy plays in bone health.

Yes, your neighbor is correct. Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones because it helps your body absorb calcium and then directs it to your bones.

You see, many docs recommend milk and dairy products for bone health because they contain calcium, which can help strengthen your bones.

But they forget to tell you that calcium is pretty much useless to your bones if you’re not taking it with vitamin D.

For a new study, researchers looked at four years of the dietary and medical data on folks around age 75.

And what they found was shocking…

Dairy intake had zero effect on bone mineral density over the course of four years in folks not taking a vitamin D supplement. Meaning that no matter how much dairy they ate, it did not strengthen their bones.

On the other hand, folks who took vitamin D supplements with their calcium experienced increased bone mineral density (or stronger bones).

This means drinking milk, even when it’s fortified, won’t be enough to make your bones stronger. You really need to be getting as much vitamin D as possible to make sure the calcium actually makes it to your bones.

The type of vitamin D you should be taking is D3, which is the form naturally found in your body.

And there’s another important vitamin you should know about if you want to get the most out of your dairy — vitamin K2, which can keep calcium from getting into your arteries.

You see, when calcium enters the body, it needs helpers to get to your bones and not your arteries, where it can create dangerous blockages.

And that’s why taking vitamins D3 and K2 with any form of calcium is so important.

Taking this powerful nutrient combo can help keep your arteries clear and your bones strong, which makes it a no-brainer addition to a calcium-rich diet.

Live well,

Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily

Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.


Sources

[1] Dairy Plus Vitamin D Needed to Preserve Bone Density in the Old

Natalie Moore

Written By Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.

View More Free Articles

NEW Medicinal Mushroom Benefit UNCOVERED

I’m a big fan of medicinal mushrooms. Almost everyone has eaten a standard mushroom on a pizza or in a spaghetti sauce, of course. But most folks have yet to experience medical mushrooms’ power to improve our health. Medicinal mushrooms are already used to treat heart, liver, and brain conditions. They can boost the immune...

Read This

[SENIORS] Cellular GLITCH Discovered?!

Aging isn’t for sissies, that’s for sure. But hey, I always remind myself the alternative is FAR worse! Besides, when you sit back and take stock, you’ll realize that a life well lived – like your own – is something to be proud of. But those accomplishments, unfortunately, don’t reduce your risk of suffering the...

Read This

Overlooked Diabetes Risk Drives Up Blood Sugar

If you’re concerned about diabetes, you’ve probably done your research. You likely focused on all the common problem areas to ward off rising blood sugar: the grocery store… the gym… and the bathroom scale. And those ARE all great places to start! Eating better, exercising, and losing weight can go a long way toward bringing your...

Read This

Boredom BUSTING Hack Keeps You Sane AND Healthy

This time of year, I start to feel a little stir-crazy. Cabin fever sets in as I tire of the cold and snow. And I start thinking about the warmer weather that’s right around the corner (but still feels SO far away). You see, I enjoy walking, hiking, and running outside. It’s good for both...

Read This

Loneliness Linked to THIS Startling Side Effect

Before the pandemic, we didn’t talk much about being lonely. But when the virus locked us down in our homes, the issue of isolation could no longer be ignored. Some of us were experiencing that kind of loneliness for the first time. But the truth is social isolation has ALWAYS been a common problem for...

Read This

MAILBAG: Ease Prostate Problems NATURALLY

“Are there any natural solutions for an enlarged prostate?” -Mike from Summerville, South Carolina Hi Mike, There are many things you can do to improve your prostate health. Eating better is the first step. This means loading up on nutritious foods, including plenty of fresh organic vegetables and lean meats. (And yes, that DOES mean...

Read This

Ditch Depression WITHOUT Drugs

You think that when you reach “your golden years,” you won’t have much to worry about anymore. After all, many of life’s major stressors, like work, kids, and relationships, are pretty much settled by the time you hit your sixties. So why the heck are we all so darned depressed then?! According to a recent...

Read This

The Ovarian Cancer Risk You NEVER Saw Coming

Cancer research is nothing new. In fact, we’ve been studying this killer since the 1800s. Yet despite all that investigating, there’s still so much we DON’T know. That’s why each time we reach a new milestone in our understanding of cancer, it should be celebrated. And a recent study has helped us make another large...

Read This

Weird Supermarket Secret BEATS Sunburn

In the winter, we tend to ignore the importance of protecting our skin from the sun’s powerful rays. But where I live, in Colorado, I see many folks come down from the ski areas with “raccoon eyes.” This happens when skiers’ faces burn, but the areas around their eyes remain pale because they wear goggles....

Read This

[REVEALED]: Bizarre Link Between Shampoo and Diabetes?!

If I were to ask you what you think the risk of getting diabetes from your shampoo is, you’d probably do two things: Laugh Go looking for another doctor And to be honest, I wouldn’t blame you. After all, connecting shampooing your hair to blood sugar levels seems absurd. But not so fast. The disturbing...

Read This