Meta-regression analysis indicated that milk might have more effect on growth than other dairy products while lower height-for-age and being a teenager increased the effect of supplementation .
In conclusion , there is moderate quality evidence that dairy products supplementation  stimulate linear growth supporting hypotheses that changing levels of consumption of dairy products in the 19th and 20th centuries contributed to trends in height
The positive relationship between per capita availability of dairy products and average  height  found in historical studies ( for instance in nineteenth century Bavaria , Prussia and France ; Baten , 2009 ) does not necessarily indicate a causal relationship .
Historical studies usually apply non-experimental methods that may produce substantial bias .
Modern experimental controlled studies may provide high quality evidence supporting a causal relationship between consumption of dairy products and physical growth .
This paper provides a systematic review and meta- analysis of controlled trials investigating the effect of supplementing usual diet with dairy products on physical growth .
School-milk intervention trial enhances growth and bone mineral accretion in Chinese girls aged 10-12 years in Beijing.
A 2-year milk intervention trial was carried out with 757 girls , aged 10 years , from nine primary schools in Beijing ( April 1999 - March 2001 ) . Schools were r and omised into three groups : group 1 , 238 girls consumed a carton of 330 ml milk fortified with Ca on school days over the study period ; group 2 , 260 girls received the same quantity of milk additionally fortified with 5 or 8 microg cholecalciferol ;  group 3 , 259 control girls .  Anthropometric and bone mineralisation measurements , as well as dietary , health and physical-activity data , were collected at baseline and after 12 and 24 months of the trial . Over the 2-year period the consumption of this milk , with or without added cholecalciferol , led to significant increases in the changes in height ( > or = 0.6 % ) , sitting height ( > or = 0.8 % ) , body weight ( > or 2.9 % ) , and ( size-adjusted ) total-body bone mineral content ( > or = 1.2 % ) and bone mineral density ( > or = 3.2 % ) . Those subjects receiving additional cholecalciferol compared with those receiving the milk without added 25-hydoxycholecalciferol had significantly greater increases in the change in ( size-adjusted ) total-body bone mineral content ( 2.4 v. 1.2 % ) and bone mineral density ( 5.5 v. 3.2 % ) . The milk fortified with cholecalciferol significantly improved vitamin D status at the end of the trial compared with the milk alone or control groups . It is concluded that an increase in milk consumption , e.g. by means of school milk programmes , would improve bone growth during adolescence , particularly when Ca intake and vitamin D status are low
Meta-regression analysis indicated that milk might have more effect on growth than other dairy products while lower height-for-age and being a teenager increased the effect of supplementation .
In conclusion , there is moderate quality evidence that dairy products supplementation  stimulate linear growth supporting hypotheses that changing levels of consumption of dairy products in the 19th and 20th centuries contributed to trends in height
The positive relationship between per capita availability of dairy products and average  height  found in historical studies ( for instance in nineteenth century Bavaria , Prussia and France ; Baten , 2009 ) does not necessarily indicate a causal relationship .
Historical studies usually apply non-experimental methods that may produce substantial bias .
Modern experimental controlled studies may provide high quality evidence supporting a causal relationship between consumption of dairy products and physical growth .
This paper provides a systematic review and meta- analysis of controlled trials investigating the effect of supplementing usual diet with dairy products on physical growth .