Twice the chance
Milk has been recommended as a good source of calcium for many years but studies considering whether it leads to stronger bones and fewer fractures have had conflicting results.
A team of scientists in Sweden examined the dietary habits of 61,400 women in 1987-1990 and 45,300 men in 1997 and then monitored their health for years afterwards.
Participants were asked to complete questionnaires on how frequently they consumed common foods such as milk, yoghurt and cheese over a one-year period.
Researchers then tracked how many developed fractures and how many participants died in the years afterwards.
In the 20-year follow-up period in which the women were monitored, those who drank more than three glasses, or 680ml, of milk a day were more likely to develop fracture than those who had consumed less.
The high-intake group had a higher risk of death too.
Prof Karl Michaelsson, lead researcher at Uppsala University, said: "Women who drank three or more glasses a day had twice the chance of dying at the end of the study than those who drank less than one glass a day.
" And those who had a high milk intake also had a 50% higher risk of hip fracture."
Men were monitored for an average of 11 years after the initial survey and the results showed a similar but less pronounced trend.
Opposite pattern