Milk has long been recommended by doctors and nutritionists for boosting calcium intake and helping to keep bones strong.

But new research suggests that it does little to strengthen bones and can double the risk of an early death.

Drinking three glasses of milk doubles the risk of early death and does not prevent broken bones, new research has shown.

A study which tracked 61,000 women and 45,000 men for 20 years found there was no reduction in broken bones for those who consumed the most milk.

For women it was associated with an increased chance of suffering a fracture. Those who drank three glasses or more a day (680ml) were twice as likely to die early than those who consumed less than one.