2 cups of milk or the daily equivalent is adequate for normal bone gain in children aged 8 to 16 years, a recent study found, and daily food interventions generally had no effect on bone mineral acquisition or body composition in either overweight or healthy weight children. Participants included 240 healthy boys and girls aged 8 to 16 years who consumed low amounts of dairy (<800 mg Ca/d).

Participants were randomly assigned within BMI categories to receive an 18-month dairy intervention (3 servings/d equivalent to ∼900 mg Ca/d) or control. Main outcomes measures assessed every 6 months included the total body bone mineral content and density, cortical and trabecular bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), and bone area at the 4% tibia and anthropometric measures. Researchers found:

• 181 participants completed the trial (61% black, 50% overweight, 50% healthy weight).

• No significant differences in the change of BMD, BMC, or bone area for the total body radius, lumbar spine, and total hip were observed between groups.
• Body fat was not influenced by the diet assigned.