Can a Diet Without Milk Damage Your Bones?

According to a survey by the UK National Osteoporosis Society, 20% of young adults under 25 leave out or reduce diary in their diet

The survey also suggests that many base their decision on advice they were given by bloggers and vloggers. Another survey by a Food Standards Agency found that while almost half of the surveyed 16 – 24 year old stated that they had an intolerance towards dairy – products and cow’s milk, only about 24% of them had their condition diagnosed by a doctor.

Dairy products are an important source of calcium and cutting them from your diet can result in serious health issues.

The charity highlighted that leaving out dairy products in your diet without replacing them can have harmful effects on your bones. It furthermore raised concerns about people merely following fads and being too restrictive in their diet.

Prof Susan Lanham-New, head of nutritional sciences at the University of Surrey and clinical advisor to the National Osteoporosis Society explained that early adulthood is an decisive period for building up strong bones and that a poor diet and lack of nutritions can cause damage which may be hard to reserve once you reach your late 20s.

A good source for calcium are dairy products like cheese, milk and yoghurt, but it can also be found in almond and soya milk. Vegetables that contain a high amount of calcium are green leafy vegetables, broccoli, seeds and beans. There are a lot of dairy alternatives that are fortified with calcium.

Nutritionists say that a diet which leaves out milk is not necessarily harmful for your health as long as you replace them with other sources of calcium. A lot of exercise, avoiding smoking and a healthy diet can also prevent conditions such as osteoporosis, a fragile bone condition that causes fractures in your bones.