Yogurt, but Not Milk, May Lower Hip Fracture Risk

High intake of fermented milk products, like yogurt, in combination with a high intake of fruits and vegetables, is associated with lower hip fracture rates in women, according to a study published online November 27 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Karl Michaëlsson, MD, PhD, from Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues used data from 38,071 women participating in the Swedish Mammography Cohort study (1987 to 1997) to determine how milk and fermented milk combined with fruit and vegetable consumption are associated with hip fracture.

The researchers found that, compared with a low intake of milk (less than one glass/day) and a high intake of fruits and vegetables (at least five servings/day), a high intake of milk (at least three glasses/day) with a concomitant low intake of fruits and vegetables (less than two servings/day) resulted in a hazard ratio of 2.49 for hip fracture. The higher hip fracture rate seen among high consumers of milk was only modestly moderated by an accompanying high consumption of fruit and vegetables (hazard ratio, 2.14). However, the combination of fruits and vegetables with fermented milk (yogurt or soured milk) yielded the lowest rates of hip fracture in high consumers: hazard ratio of 0.81 for at least two servings/day of fermented milk and at least five servings/day of fruits and vegetables vs low consumption of both fruit and vegetables and fermented milk.

"We conclude that the amount and type of dairy products as well as fruit and vegetable intake are differentially associated with hip fracture rates in women," the authors wrote.

Source: HealthDay