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Does drinking milk lead to osteoporosis?
I heard that eating dairy products and other animal proteins contribute to osteoporosis due to the acid content in the food and how our bones neutralize the acid. Is this true?
An example of the claim can be found on this site:
In fact, contrary to what was printed in your column, excess protein prevents absorption of calcium, and can actually leach it from your bones, causing osteoporosis. Dr. Neal Barnard writes, "Dairy products contain sodium and animal protein, both of which encourage calcium losses."
Abby, the average American eats double the amount of protein they need! No wonder we have a higher incidence of osteoporosis than, say, Japan, where they rarely drink milk. The low fat Japanese diet also helps explain why severe symptoms of menopause are virtually unknown there.
