Milk and dairy products are rich in vitamin D and calcium substances essential for building and maintaining bones Many people therefore say that a diet rich in dairy products can help prevent osteoporosis a disease that is linked to both environmental and

The author argues that the increased usage of diet rich in milk and dairy products increases the risk of osteoporosis in individuals, contrary to the belief amidst many, that such a diet can help prevent the disease which is linked to environmental and genetic factors. However, in order to evaluate the persuasiveness of the argument, additional evidence needs to be provided on several factors as enumerated in the following paragraphs.
Firstly, the relation between milk and dairy products, rich in vitamin D and calcium, and osteoporosis, which results from environmental and genetic factors, is somewhat vague. Further evidence regarding whether the disease is caused due to deficiency of vitamin D or calcium in individuals needs to be put forth to support that a diet rich in milk and dairy products can have beneficial effect on any individual. On the contrary whether osteoporosis results from increased amounts of vitamin D or calcium also needs to be verified before the detrimental effects of milk and other dairy products in relation to osteoporosis can be ascertained. Unless such an evidence in procured, there appears no relationship between the two and the author’s conclusion that such a diet affects individuals’ susceptibility to osteoporosis is tenuous.
Secondly, the details pertaining to the long term study involving individuals should be furnished in order to evaluate the argument. The study reveals that people who consistently had diet rich in milk and dairy product were observed to have more fractures compared to other participants. However, no details pertaining to the study group - whether the group actually involve people who are relatively old and who are more likely to encounter the disease – no information on the study group is presented. It might be that people who suffer more fractures consume diet rich in milk and dairy products as well as live alongside accident-prone regions and hence suffer from relatively higher number of bone fractures. It might be such that these are children, who engage in risky physical activities and therefore show a larger number of bone fractures. In either case, the claim that a diet rich in dairy products bring about higher risk of osteoporosis will turn out to be erroneous since the significant contributor to these fractures is not osteoporosis.
Furthermore, the author considers fractures as the conclusive evidence for osteoporosis. Additional proof behind such a notion needs to be put forth. It might turn out that the author presents a clouded judgement in considering that fractures are the only symptoms that a patient suffering from osteoporosis exhibits. Other symptoms such as body ache and fatigue arising out of osteoporosis is completely refuted under such a scenario. Hence, a large part of the population who does not have diet rich in dairy products and additionally suffer from symptoms of osteoporosis other than bone fractures is completely ignored by the author in his consideration.
In conclusion, it is possible that people consuming diet rich in milk and dairy products are prone to a higher risk of osteoporosis. However, as it stands now, the author’s argument stands unpersuasive due to lack of adequate evidence. The author needs to further his claim using valid evidence that relates the deleterious effect of milk and dairy products, rich in calcium and vitamin D, in causing osteoporosis, which results from environmental and genetic causes. He needs to provide evidence that suggests that the study group so mentioned involves adequate number of people who are in the older age group, where the disease is predominant and also consider other symptoms apart from fractures while carefully pitching his argument.