Low milk intakes hamper bone mineral acquisition during adolescence, especially in European girls. We hypothesized that ethnic-specific polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor gene promoter (VDRp) influence this milk/bone association. We evaluated lumbar spine BMC and BMD, milk/dairy products and calcium intakes, markers of P-Ca metabolism, and VDRp polymorphisms at the Cdx-2 binding (rs11568820) and -1012 (rs4516035) loci in 117 healthy European peri- and postmenarcheal girls (14.9 +/- 1.6 yr) during a 4-yr follow-up. Calcium intakes from milk, nonmilk dairy products, and nondairy products averaged 199, 243, and 443 mg/d at the initiation of the study. Results show no association between milk intakes and bone mass accrual in girls bearing an A/A genotype at the -1012 VDRp locus (30% of the cohort). In contrast, A/G or G/G girls had lower spine BMC (-13%, p = 0.031), BMD (-10%, p = 0.004), and BMD Z-score (-0.84 SD, p = 0.0003) when their milk intakes were <260 ml/d compared with genotype-matched girls with higher milk intakes and with girls with an A/A genotype. The negative impact of low milk intake persisted up to 19.0 +/- 1.7 yr. These findings suggest that European girls bearing a -1012 A/G or G/G VDRp genotype should have higher milk/calcium intakes for optimal vertebral mass accrual during adolescence than girls bearing an A/A genotype, a genotype found in 30% of European and 98% of Asian and Sub-Saharan African populations. VDRp genotype diversity may contribute to the ethnic differences observed in milk requirements for bone health during adolescence.