My apologies..

[Guest guest]

...For not posting more than the reference. I did a google search and

found an abstract through the Pediatrics website:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/115/3/736

Calcium, Dairy Products, and Bone Health in Children and Young

Adults: A Reevaluation of the Evidence

Objective. Numerous nutrition policy statements recommend the

consumption of 800 to 1500 mg of calcium largely from dairy products

for osteoporosis prevention; however, the findings of epidemiologic

and prospective studies have raised questions about the efficacy of

the use of dairy products for the promotion of bone health. The

objective of this study was to review existing literature on the

effects of dairy products and total dietary calcium on bone integrity

in children and young adults to assess whether evidence supports (1)

current recommended calcium intake levels and (2) the suggestion that

dairy products are better for promoting bone integrity than other

calcium-containing food sources or supplements.

Methods. A Medline (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD)

search was conducted for studies published on the relationship

between milk, dairy products, or calcium intake and bone

mineralization or fracture risk in children and young adults (1–25

years). This search yielded 58 studies: 22 cross-sectional studies;

13 retrospective studies; 10 longitudinal prospective studies; and 13

randomized, controlled trials.

Results. Eleven of the studies did not control for weight, pubertal

status, and exercise and were excluded. Ten studies were randomized,

controlled trials of supplemental calcium, 9 of which showed modest

positive benefits on bone mineralization in children and adolescents.

Of the remaining 37 studies of dairy or unsupplemented dietary

calcium intake, 27 studies found no relationship between dairy or

dietary calcium intake and measures of bone health. In the remaining

9 reports, the effects on bone health are small and 3 were confounded

by vitamin D intake from milk fortified with vitamin D. Therefore, in

clinical, longitudinal, retrospective, and cross-sectional studies,

neither increased consumption of dairy products, specifically, nor

total dietary calcium consumption has shown even a modestly

consistent benefit for child or young adult bone health.

Conclusion. Scant evidence supports nutrition guidelines focused

specifically on increasing milk or other dairy product intake for

promoting child and adolescent bone mineralization.