Is Teenage Milk Consumption Good for the Hips?

Bone mineral content increases most during adolescence, and adequate milk consumption is recommended for teenagers. But, does greater milk intake during adolescence prevent later osteoporotic fractures? To find out, investigators examined teenage milk consumption as reported at enrollment by 61,600 women (age range, 30–55) in the Nurses' Health Study and 35,350 men (age range, 40–75) in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Women were prospectively followed for up to 22 years after reaching menopause, and men after age 50, for self-reported hip fractures not due to major trauma or malignancy.

In analyses adjusted for adult and teenage diet measures, supplement use, physical activity, and body-mass index, and adult medication use, milk in…