Higher dietary intakes of total and animal protein were protective against loss of grip strength in community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older. Increasing intake of protein from these sources may help maintain muscle strength and support prevention of mobility impairment in older adults.

Purpose To examine associations of milk, yogurt, cheese, cream, most dairy (total dairy without cream) and fluid dairy (milk+yogurt) with bone density (BMD) at femoral neck (FN), trochanter (TR) and spine, and with incident hip fracture over 12-y follow-up in the Framingham Offspring Study. Methods 3,212 participants completed a food frequency questionnaire (1991–1995 or 1995–1998) and were followed for hip fracture until 2007. 2,506 participants had DXA BMD (1996–2001). Linear regression was used to estimate adjusted mean BMD while Cox-proportional hazards regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for hip fracture risk. Final models simultaneously included dairy foods adjusting for each other. Results Mean baseline age was 55 (±1.6)y, range: 26–85). Most dairy intake was positively associated with hip and spine BMD. Intake of fluid dairy and milk were related with hip but not spine BMD. Yogurt intake was associated with TR-BMD alone. Cheese and cream intakes were not associated with BMD. In final models, yogurt intake remained positively associated with TR-BMD, while cream tended to be negatively associated with FN-BMD. Yogurt intake showed a weak protective trend for hip fracture [HR(95%CI): ≤4 serv/wk: 0.46 (0.21–1.03) vs. >4 serv/wk: 0.43 (0.06–3.27)]. No other dairy groups showed a significant association (HRs range: 0.53–1.47) with limited power (n, fractures=43). Conclusion Milk and yogurt intakes were associated with hip but not spine BMD, while cream may adversely influence BMD. Thus, not all dairy products are equally beneficial for the skeleton. Suggestive fracture results for milk and yogurt intakes need further confirmation.