“Drink your milk” is a familiar refrain in households across the globe. Though that statement is often directed at children, adults also may feel they need to drink more milk. But the relationship between milk and overall health is a complex one that’s only been made more complicated by some longheld but potentially misleading beliefs about milk.

Milk and bone health Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous, and protein have all been linked to bone health. Milk contains each of these nutrients, so it’s natural for people to think milk can help to establish and maintain healthy bones. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, evidence strongly supports the sentiment that dairy products promote healthy bones and muscles. However, a 2001 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that countries with the highest intakes of milk and calcium had the highest rates of hip fractures. Two separate meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies, one in 2011 and the other in 2019, did not find an association between milk consumption and hip fracture risk. So what do these studies have to say about milk and bone health? That’s uncertain, and acknowledging that uncertainty is important for people who are looking to milk to build strong bones. In such instances, individuals should look to additional measures aside from drinking milk, such as daily exercise and avoiding tobacco, which the Mayo Clinic reports has been linked to weakened bones.

Milk and long-term weight control The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health notes that research does not support the somewhat popular notion that milk helps with long-term weight control. Though studies have found that milk and dairy could help to reduce body fat in the short-term when it was included as part of a calorie-restricted diet plan, that benefit was not evident when individuals stopped restricting their calorie intake.

Milk and cancer The potential relationship between milk and cancer also is complicated. A meta-analysis of more than 100 cohort studies by the World Cancer Research Fund found that higher milk intake lead to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, though this benefit was mostly in men. However, the Chan School of Public Health notes that other studies have linked dairy and milk intake to an increased risk of prostate cancer and early stage prostate cancer.

The relationship between milk and overall health is complex. Individuals who want to get healthy can speak with their physicians about whether or not increasing their milk intake can help them.