THIS MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS
November 2008
DAIRY CHECKOFF UPDATE View PDF
Checkoff-Funded Study Connects Dairy Intake to Weight Management
A new study, funded by the National Dairy Council® (NDC), the nutrition research and education arm of the national dairy checkoff, helps connect dairy consumption to weight maintenance following weight loss for overweight and obese adults, further positioning dairy’s role as part of a healthy diet.
Study participants who consumed three servings of nutrient-rich low-fat and fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt a day exhibited greater evidence of fat oxidation (fat burning) and were able to consume more calories without greater weight gain compared to study participants who consumed fewer servings of dairy. The study was recently published in the on-line version of the Nutrition & Metabolism journal.
“A growing body of research indicates that enjoying three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods, such as milk, cheese or yogurt, each day as part of a nutrient-rich, balanced diet may help maintain a healthy weight,” said Greg Miller, executive vice president of science and research at the NDC. “At least 45 studies exploring dietary intake patterns and body weight in various population groups indicate that those who consume greater amounts of dairy foods weigh less than those who consume less dairy.”
In addition, clinical trials of overweight and obese adults found that those who followed reduced-calorie diets — and increased their dairy intake to three servings a day — achieved better results in maintaining a healthy weight than those who cut calories and consumed inadequate amounts of dairy foods and calcium.
Science-based nutrition research serves as the foundation for producer-funded efforts to help build demand for and sales of U.S. dairy products by further advancing dairy’s role as part of a healthy diet.
“These results, along with NDC’s long history of nutrition research and education, helps establish dairy’s health and nutrition benefits among consumers,” said Paul Rovey, an Arizona dairy producer and chair of Dairy Management Inc.™, which manages the national dairy producer checkoff program. “It gives the public yet another reason to consume dairy.”
In addition to working with health professional partners, checkoff staffs also communicate the study results to national and local media, update information on the producer-funded www.nationaldairycouncil.org, and include the results in other nutrition education materials.
For more information on dairy’s role in maintaining a healthy weight, visit www.nationaldairycouncil.org.
Childhood Dairy Intake May Improve Adolescent Bone Health
A recent study investigating the effects of dairy food intake during childhood found children who consumed two or more servings of nutrient-rich dairy per day had higher levels of bone mineral content and bone density as adolescents. The study — funded by the National Dairy Council® (NDC), the nutrition research and education arm of the national dairy checkoff — was published in the November issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.
The results of this study provide another reason for children to consume dairy, and supports the efforts of dairy producers to help establish lifelong dairy consumers.
“These findings support the research that shows dairy foods, such as milk, are an important source of calcium and other essential nutrients that help build and maintain strong bones, muscles and teeth in children,” said Ann Marie Krautheim, a registered dietitian and senior vice president of nutrition affairs for NDC. “It adds to the growing body of science that links adequate dairy intake to improved bone health among children and adolescents.”
In order to understand the relationship between childhood dairy intake and adolescent bone health, researchers acquired data from more than 100 children, 3 to 5 years of age, over a 12-year period. Food diaries were given to each family, tracking everything the children ate and drank for several days each year. The results showed that adolescents who consumed two or more servings of dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, per day throughout childhood had an average bone mineral content that was 175 grams higher than adolescents who had consumed less than two servings of dairy per day as children.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, seven of 10 teen boys and nine of 10 teen girls do not get adequate calcium intake. Consuming the recommended three servings of nutrient-rich low-fat and fat-free dairy a day helps children get the calcium and other essential nutrients they need to improve their bone health and reduce their risk of osteoporosis later in life.
In addition to working with health professional partners, checkoff staffs also communicate the study results to national and local media, update information on the producer-funded www.nationaldairycouncil.org, and include the results in other nutrition education materials.
For more information about the health benefits of dairy foods, visit www.nationaldairycouncil.org.
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