The study by researchers at the Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) at Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School (HMS), has found that dairy intake - specifically milk and yogurt - is associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD) in the hip, but not the spine.
Cream, on the other hand, may be associated with lower BMD overall.
"Dairy foods provide several important nutrients that are beneficial for bone health," said lead author Shivani Sahni.
"However, cream and its products such as ice cream have lower levels of these nutrients and have higher levels of fat and sugar. In this study, 2.5 - 3 servings of milk and yogurt intake per day were associated with better bone density," she said in a statement.
"More research is needed to examine the role of cheese intake (some of which can be high in fat and sodium), and whether individual dairy foods have a significant impact in reducing fractures," she added.
Researchers based their findings on data collected from a food frequency questionnaire completed by 3,212 participants.
They then compared participants' dairy intake with BMD measurement, which revealed the benefits of milk and yogurt versus cream in largely middle-aged men and women.
According to the study, nutrient composition varies among dairy foods. Choosing low-fat milk or yogurt over cream can increase intake of protein, calcium and vitamin D while limiting intake of saturated fats.
The study was published in the journal Archives of Osteoporosis.
