长期以来，经由医界、媒体报道，乳制品是钙质无可取代的标准来源这一观念已经深入人心。然而，牛奶真有那么大的功效吗？根据科学家们最新的研究，乳制品的钙质可能比绿叶蔬菜还要少，而补钙的最佳食品则可能是易于吸收的豆制品。

    Children who drink more milk do not necessarily.Develop healthier bones, researchers said in a report that stresses exercise and modest consumption of calcium-rich foods such as tofu and broccoli.

    Appearing in the journal Pediatrics, the report drew its conclusions from previously published studies and was written by researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which advocates a strict vegetarian diet.

    "Under scientific scrutiny, the support for the milk myth crumbles. This analysis of 58 published studies shows that the evidence on which U.S. dairy intake recommendations are based is scant," said study author Dr. Amy Lanou in a statement.

    Some earlier studies that extol dairy products as a calcium source have been funded at least in part by the dairy industry.

    The U.S. government has gradually increased recommendations for daily calcium intake, largely from dairy products, to between 800 and 1,300 milligrams to promote healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis.

    But the Physicians Committee's report said boosting consumption of milk or other dairy products was not necessarily the best way to provide the minimal calcium intake of at least 400 milligrams per day. Other ways to get the absorbable calcium found in one cup of cow's milk include a cup of fortified orange juice, a cup of cooked kale or turnip greens, two packages of instant oats, two-thirds cup of tofu, or 1-2/3 cups of broccoli, the report said.

    Several of the studies, which examined such factors as bone density and rate of fractures, concluded that exercise may be more important than increased calcium consumption in developing strong bones.

    Data was scarce on the effect of calcium intake for children younger than 7 years, the report said. Dairy products provide 18 percent of the total energy and 25 percent of the total fat intake in the diets of American children, who are developing increasing rates of obesity, it said.

    In an editorial in the journal commenting on the report, Frank Greer, a pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, said the ideal way to achieve the goal of healthy bones is to make sure children exercise and consume up to 1,300 milligrams a day of calcium.

    儿童根本不需要喝更多牛奶。研究者在一份研究资料中表明，加强运动配合适量摄入含钙丰富的食品如：豆腐、椰菜等，便可以获得更强壮的骨骼。

    这篇文章被发表在《小儿科》杂志上，是由医师医药责任协会(PCRM)的学者根据先前公开发表过的论文总结出来的结论，这份研究提倡素食。

    研究学者Dr. Amy Lanou 在声明中写道：“在科学的详细审查下，牛奶补钙神话的支柱被彻底粉碎。对58份公布研究的分析表明仅仅基于美国乳制品推荐摄入量作为补钙证据是远远不足的。”

    一些初期的对牛奶作为钙质来源而大放赞美之词的研究论文，背后都受过乳品加工业的资金赞助，至少是部分的赞助。

    美国政府逐渐提高了人均钙质的推荐摄入量，当然主要是从乳制品入手，达到800~1300毫克来促进骨骼健康和预防骨质疏松症。

    但是医师医药责任协会发表的研究表明,提高牛奶或其他乳制品的摄入量并不是提供我们每天至少400毫克钙质所必要的、或者说最好的方法。要获得与一杯牛奶等量的可吸收钙质的其他途径包括：一杯强化（维生素）橙汁，一碗煮羽衣甘蓝或芜箐甘蓝，两包速溶燕麦，2到3碟豆腐，1到2/3碗椰菜。

    个别研究调查了一些因素诸如骨密度和破裂率后，得出结论：也许通过运动对于获得强壮骨骼来说，比提高钙的摄入量来的更为重要。

    研究中还表明，针对7岁以前的儿童，证明补钙效果的数据是不足的。美国儿童所摄入的乳制品已经占他们总能量摄入的18%，占总脂肪摄入量的25%，这使得美国肥胖率持续上升。

    在一篇针对这篇学术报告的社论中，Frank Greer，一位在麦迪逊威斯康辛大学的儿科医师评论道，获得强壮骨骼的最理想的方法就是保证孩子们充足的运动和每天摄入1300毫克钙。