title: Milk supplementation and bone health in young adult chinese women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Milk is potentially beneficial for bone health, particularly for Chinese populations where consumption of dairy products is low. There are few data about milk consumption by Chinese women aged 20-35 years. This study examines whether milk supplement over 2 years caused increased bone mineral density (BMD) in Chinese women aged 20-35 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred forty-one community-living women living in Hong Kong SAR (221) and Beijing (220) China were randomized to receive milk supplement or nothing. The supplement consisted of two sachets of milk powder (1000 mg calcium, 80 microg vitamin K(1)), for 24 months. BMD at total hip, total spine, and whole body was measured at baseline and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months; blood specimens were analyzed at baseline and at 3 and 24 months for biochemical indices of bone turnover and vitamin K. Urine samples also were collected. Analysis was by intention to treat as well as per protocol. Differences in change from baseline between the milk and control groups were analyzed using the mixed models approach to repeated measures, including the baseline value as a covariate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups had an increase in BMD and a decrease in bone turnover markers over time, as an indicator of the process of attainment of peak bone mass during this period. Apart from a higher total spine BMD at 6 months in the milk group using per protocol analysis, there was little significant difference observed between the milk group and the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age-related bone metabolism and lack of compliance most likely explain the lack of consistent changes in BMD or bone biochemical measures in response to milk supplementation for 2 years in Chinese women aged 20-35 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. jeanwoowong@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Winny
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Christopher Wai Kei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Xihe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuhn-Sherlock
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pocock
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eastell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008892:Milk; D012107:Research Design; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary