Dairy and health. The role of milk, milk products and cheese in a healthy diet

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1 Dairy and health The role of milk, milk products and cheese in a healthy diet

2 Good nutrition What is good nutrition? Because of the large amount of information available it may be difficult to decide what is helpful. What do you need, how much and when? The food-based dietary guidelines are a good starting point showing the proportions of foods from each food group needed for a well-balanced and healthy diet and will help you to get sufficient nutrients. Apart from a varied diet, daily physically activity is, of course, important too. About this booklet These days, messages about nutrition and health are published daily in the media. Some of these media reports are about milk, milk products and cheese which are known as dairy products. What is healthy and what is not? Actually, the message is very simple: eat a varied diet which includes a good balance of foods from each food group, such as vegetables, fruit, fish, grains, nuts and dairy. Dairy naturally contains a number of essential nutrients, is not expensive, is readily available and tastes good. One or two glasses of milk, a bowl of yoghurt and one to two servings of cheese provide more than enough nutrients. Schedule: The Eatwell Guide This booklet has been composed by the FrieslandCampina Institute, based on scientific evidence and official dietary guidelines. For individual nutritional advice, please contact a dietitian

3 The history of dairy 8000 BC In this period people switched from hunting and collecting food to agriculture. They started to keep cows, goats and sheep because of the milk these animals gave Invention of the refrigerator Invention of the microwave. Year 0 Present Invention of the wheel BC Invention of the art of printing in Europe Discovery of the first vitamin. The creation of the Internet Milk, of all times Crop farmers and cattle farmers started to keep cows about 8000 years BC. They discovered that cows can convert grass, which is indigestible for people, into the valuable foodstuff milk. This was the perfect solution for people in areas where no other crops could grow. Therefore milk is recommended as part of a healthy diet in many countries. The emergence of the milk drinker Through the centuries, our ancestors discovered that apples, eggs, grains and cabbage are edible, nutritious and taste good. They also found out that milk from e.g. camels, horses, goats, sheep and cows is a valuable source of nutrients for people. Initially, milk was only given to children, but milk appeared to be a good source of nutrients for adults as well. An increasing number of adults developed the ability to digest milk which offered an evolutionary benefit. The group of adults who can digest milk thanks to genetic adaptation has grown to over one third of the world population through the centuries. 4 5

4 A glass of semi-skimmed milk (150 ml) contains: What is the role of nutrients in the body? 28% of the RNI* for riboflavin (vitamin B2) 27% of the RNI* for phosphorus 5.4 g protein 7.2 g carbohydrates Cheese, yoghurt and quark are all made from milk and therefore contain many of the nutrients from milk? 2.7 g fat 90% of the RNI* for vitamin B12 27% of the RNI* for calcium 7% of the RNI* for potassium Source: Department of Health, Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom, HMSO, * Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI): The RNI is the amount of a nutrient that is enough to ensure that the needs of nearly all the group (97.5%) are being met. By definition, many within the group will need less. Cheese additionally contains vitamin A, vitamin K, zinc and selenium? Vitamin B2 Helps the nervous system to function normally and the body to release energy from food. Calcium Is needed for building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth and plays a role in the functioning of muscles. Proteins Support the growth and maintenance of muscle mass and the maintenance of bones. Source: EFSA Phosphorus Helps build and maintain healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin B12 Helps the nervous system to function normally and the body to release energy from food. Potassium Helps the muscles, bones and nerves to function normally. 6 7

5 What is meant by dairy? Dairy = & & milk yoghurt, quark cheese Recommendations for dairy per age group Science shows that nutrients from milk help to maintain bones? Not only the calcium, but also the protein and phosphorus that are naturally present in milk also make a contribution. Age 1-3 Age 4-6 Age 7-10 Age boys Strong bones The strength of the bones is mainly determined genetically. However, you can make your bones stronger yourself by taking sufficient physical activity and by eating a healthy diet which includes a variety of foods. Strong bones in particular require calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced by the body with the help of the sun and it is also found in oily fish. Calcium is mainly found in dairy products. A glass of milk (150 ml) already provides at least a quarter of the daily requirement for calcium. Apart from calcium, dairy products also contain other nutrients, such as proteins and phosphorus, which contribute to healthy bones. Age girls Age Calcium It can be more difficult to get all the calcium required from non-dairy sources. In fact, bread, vegetables, legumes and potatoes contain less calcium than dairy products. Two glasses of milk, a serving of cheese or yoghurt as part of the daily diet is easy and cheap and not only a good source of calcium, but also a source of other important nutrients, such as protein and iodine. > Age 50 Recommendations for dairy per age group are based on the Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNI), Department of Health. = 150 ml = 150 ml = 20 gram Our bones are made from living tissue, which renews itself every day. This process takes place during the entire life-cycle and throughout adulthood. Therefore calcium, as well as other nutrients, in particular proteins and vitamin D, remain important throughout life. 8 9

6 Lactose Lactose (milk sugar) is naturally present in milk. A proportion of the world population cannot properly digest lactose after childhood. This is called lactose intolerance. Most people with a lactose intolerance can still digest about 12 grams of lactose per day. This is equal to a large glass (250 ml) of milk spread over the day. Not all dairy products contain an equal amount of lactose. For example, yoghurt contains less lactose than milk. Semi-hard Dutch cheeses, for example Gouda cheese, contain hardly any lactose and so these can be eaten by people with a lactose intolerance. Tips Tip 1 Yoghurt makes for a healthy dessert! Liven up a bowl of yoghurt with stewed apple and cinnamon or top with summer berry fruits. There is also a lactose-free milk for people with a lactose intolerance. Using lactose free milk ensures you benefit from all the nutrients from milk, but not the lactose. Tip 2 Do you have a lactose intolerance? Choose lactose-free milk or eat semi-hard cheese. Tip 3 Do you take part in sports? After exercise, proteins help support muscle growth and repair. Tip 4 Do you need advice on making the right food choice? The Eatwell Guide shows the proportions in which different types of foods are Tip 5 Do you want strong bones? Apart from calcium from, e.g. dairy, physical activity also makes a contribution to the maintenance of bones. needed to eat a well-balanced and healthy diet. All dairy products contain valuable nutrients, no matter whether you drink or eat full-fat, semi-skimmed or skimmed dairy products? The major difference is in the fat content and the calories (energy). Skimmed dairy has the lowest fat content, less than 0.3%. Semi-skimmed dairy contains % fat and full-fat dairy mostly 3-4%. References: Bonjour, J.P. (2015). Dietary protein: an essential nutrient for bone health. J Am Coll Nutr, (6) Suppl: 526S-36S. Bersaglieri, T. et al. (2004). Genetic signatures of strong recent positive selection at the lactase gene. Am J Hum Genet, 2004; 74: Department of Health, Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom, HMSO, Dunne, J. et al. (2012). First dairying in green Saharan Africa in the fifth millennium BC. Nature, 2012; 486: Eatwell Guide. Public Health England in association with the Welsh government, Food Standards Scotland and the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland. EFSA documents: ; 7(9):1210, 1219, 1223, 1227, ; 8(10):1811, 1814, ; 8(2): ; 9(6):2203 European Food Safety Autority (2010). Scientific Opinion on lactose thresholds in lactose intolerance and galactosaemia. EFSA Journal (2010), 8(9) Heaney, R.P. (2009). Dairy and bone health. J Am Coll Nutr, 2009; 28 Suppl 1:82S-90S. Itan, Y. et al. (2009). The origins of lactase persistence in Europe. PLoS Comput Biol 2009;5:e Kerstetter, J.E. et al. (2011). Dietary protein and skeletal health: a review of recent human research. Curr Opin Lipidol, 2011; 22(1): Miller, G.D. et al. (2007). Handbook of dairy foods and nutrition. CRC Press rd Edition. Suchy, F.J. (2010). National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference: lactose intolerance and health. Ann Intern Med 2010;152: Zhu, K. and R.L. Prince (2012). Calcium and bone. Clin Biochem, 2012; 45(12):

7 This booklet is offered by the FrieslandCampina Institute. For personal nutritional advice, please contact a dietitian. Disclaimer FrieslandCampina 2017 Although FrieslandCampina has taken the greatest possible care in preparing this document, the information provided and/or displayed in this document may be incomplete or incorrect. The FrieslandCampina Institute assumes no responsibility or obligation whatsoever with respect to any printing, spelling, typographical or other similar errors of any kind in materials published by it. Version July 2017