Cheese protects men from osteoporosis but not women

Cheese offers men protection against osteoporosis but not for women, a new study claims.

Consuming cheese three times a week is substantial enough to reduce risk of brittle bone, the Daily Mail reported.

For the study, the diets of 1,522 men were compared to 1,104 women from the Framingham Heart Study. Participants were between the ages of 32 and 81. They also had to do a scan called QCT (quantitative computed tomography) that measures bone density in the lower back and hips.  

Men over 50 had stronger spines and hips if they consumed dairy products. However, cheese consumed in any form showed to be the best option.

"In the US more than 50 percent of the adults older than 50 years are estimated to have either osteoporosis or a low bone mass," lead author Dr Shivani Sahni, a nutrition professor at Harvard-affiliated Hebrew Senior Life, told the Daily Mail.

Adding, "Dietary factors represent an important and growing area of interest, as these factors could be easily modified for optimum bone health."

"Yet, few studies have directly compared specific types of dairy foods even though not all dairy products have a similar effect on bone health," Dr Sahni further explained.

Osteoporosis not only weakens bones, causes fracture and loss of physical function.