Sana Charania Triple Helix Associate Editor Growing up, I remember my parents forcing me to drink a tall glass of milk twice a day. Since milk is rich in calcium, for them “got milk” translated to “got strong teeth and bones.” Nevertheless, according to a recent study drinking too much milk can lead to adverse health effects. This study involved more than 61,000 women and 45,000 men in Sweden who were carefully monitored for up to twenty-three years using self-report questionnaires. The study found that high milk intake was positively associated with increased risk of death among men and women, although the results were less pronounced among men. Compared to men and women who drank less than a glass of milk a day, men who drank more than three glasses a day had a 10% increased risk of death while women had a nearly doubled risk of death and 44% increased risk of cancer. Furthermore, women who drank more than three glasses of milk a day had a 16% greater risk of any bone fracture and 60% increased risk of a broken hip compared to women who drank less than a glass of milk a day. One possible explanation for this finding could be the high levels of sugars (lactose and galactose) in milk. Galactose - which comprises half of lactose - increases oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. In the laboratory, galactose has been shown to prematurely age mice. Even though this scientific research is not enough to change nutritional guidelines, it is still a significant start in looking at the potentially adverse effects of milk.
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AuthorsThe authors of these blog posts are staff writers of The Triple Helix at Georgetown University. Archives
November 2016
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