Does Milk Strengthen or Weaken Bones?

We see advertisements that milk strengthens our bones and teeth. This does seem logical since milk has 300 mg per cup of calcium in it. The problem is milk has an acidifying effect on the body that robs us of our calcium stores. The acid-alkaline balance is critical to maintaining health. We have a tendency in our Western Culture to eat and drink way too many acidifying foods like milk, breads, and meats. We also drink carbonated beverages that not only have incredible amounts of sugar or artificial sweeteners but phosphorylating agents that help to neutralize the carbonic acid to give you the fizz. These phosphorylating agents also rob us of our calcium stores.

You can consider milk and carbonated beverages to be bone thieves. If you remove the calcium from the bone to neutralize the acidity you caused through diet, you remove the integrity of the bone itself. Also remember that many people have intolerances to milk, including lactose intolerances. Cow’s milk is highly treated to get rid of bacteria by heating. This destroys the enzymes that make it digestible in the first place. This also makes it a mucus former in the body.

Let’s go back and take a deeper look at calcium itself. It is a potent neutralizer of acids and that is why the body pulls it out of the bone to neutralize acidic foods. It is also why it is a main ingredient in many antacid formulas people buy OTC (over the counter) or in prescription drugs.

Milk, pop, and other acidifying foods cause a fire to rage in the body. Calcium is one of the fire-fighting agents your body’s natural defenses use to put out the fire. Your body jumps into action and uses calcium to put out the acidic attack. The end result is, even though milk contains calcium, the net result is a calcium deficiency in your bones.  

Calcium can be obtained through food sources and proper supplementation.