A bone to pick with milk

Milk has long been recommended by doctors and nutritionists for boosting calcium intake and helping to keep bones strong.

But new research suggests that it does little to strengthen bones and can double the risk of early death.

A Swedish study that tracked 61000 women and 45000 men for 20 years found there was no reduction in broken bones for those who consumed the most milk. For women it was associated with an increased chance of suffering a fracture.

Those who drank three glasses or more a day were twice as likely to die early than those who consumed less than one.

British experts said the research should be treated with caution because the milk in Sweden is fortified with vitamin A, which could have had an impact on the findings.