To Archives

Health & Nutrition News Alert

January - February 2003 (Vol. 7 No. 1)

Dairy Delivers Daily Dose For Your Diet and Your Bones
A new study provides further evidence that 3-A-Day of Dairy is an easy way to help build stronger bones and better bodies. In this study, researchers examined the dietary intakes of 29 postmenopausal women with typically low calcium intakes. Half of them consumed three servings of fruit-flavored yogurt and the other half consumed three servings of a jelled snack for seven to 11 days. The results showed that the women who ate the yogurt snack three times a day significantly increased their intake of calcium and other nutrients, and decreased the rate of bone breakdown. The added nutrients in yogurt, like calcium, protein and riboflavin, improved overall diet quality and displaced less nutritious foods. Additionally, the study notes that the women found the yogurt very satisfying, felt an increased sense of fullness and ate less of other foods.

Heaney, R.P. et al. Effect of yogurt on a urinary marker of bone resorption in postmenopausal women. Journal of the American Dietetic Association . 2002; 102: 1672-1673.

DASH Diet, Exercise and Weight Loss:
A Powerful Combo in Reducing High Blood Pressure
Research shows that the combination of diet, regular exercise and weight loss reduces high blood pressure, even as effectively as medication. In this randomized trial of 45 individuals with high blood pressure, half participated in lifestyle modifications, including consumption of the DASH Diet (an eating plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetables and lowfat dairy products), a reduced sodium intake, weight loss and regular aerobic exercise. Participants in the lifestyle group had a reduction in blood pressure and lost an average of 10 pounds. In addition, cholesterol levels were also reduced during the study. The results show that comprehensive lifestyle changes, including diet, make a difference in blood pressure reduction and in overall health, including reducing the risk of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke.

Miller E.R. et al. Results of the Diet, Exercise, and Weight Loss Intervention Trial (DEW-IT). Hypertension . 2002; 40: 612-618.

Men Maintain Better Bones with Dairy
New research reaffirms the role dairy foods play in maintaining bone health among adult men. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, found that a dietary pattern of adequate calcium intake (1200 mg daily), moderate protein (about 100 grams daily or 1.17 grams per kilogram of body weight), generous potassium (about 3800 mg daily) and phosphorus (about 1700 mg daily) contributes to higher bone mineral densities than a pattern where calcium is adequate but protein and potassium is low. The authors note that incorporating dairy foods, fruits and vegetables into the diet can help men achieve the benefits provided by the bone-boosting nutrients.

Whiting, S.J., et al. Dietary protein, phosphorus and potassium are beneficial to bone mineral density in adult men consuming adequate dietary calcium. Journal of the American College of Nutrition . 2002; 21 (5): 402-409.

{Editor’s note: One 8-ounce glass of milk provides 300 mg of calcium, 8 grams of protein, 390 mg of potassium and 200 mg of phosphorus and is an excellent or good source of these nutrients.}

Children’s Liking for Dairy Foods Develops Early A recent longitudinal study of 70 young children and their mothers compared children’s food preferences at ages 2 to 3 years, 4 years and 8 years and the mother’s food preferences when her child was 2 to 3 years and 8 years1. The study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found that cheese and pizza were among the foods most frequently liked by almost all children and moms. While about 70 percent of children liked dairy foods at all ages, the study found that foods introduced after age 4 were more apt to be disliked than liked. The authors note that mothers influence children’s food preferences by not introducing them to foods they personally dislike. Additionally, the authors say one reason why it is difficult to improve children’s diet is that food preferences are formed as early as 2 to 3 years of age.

1. Skinner, J.D., et al. Children's food preferences: a longitudinal analysis. Journal of the American Dietetic Association . 2002; 102: 1638-1647.
2. Fisher, J., et. al: Maternal influences on the trade-off between milk and soft drinks in young girls' diets. Journal of Nutrition . 2001; 131 (2): 246-250.

{Editor’s note: a previous study found that children who have moms that drink milk enjoy drinking milk, and therefore have higher nutrients in their diet than kids who don’t drink milk.}

###

You can rely on the National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council of (ADA/DC) Nebraska for credible, up-to-date news on dairy nutrition research, public policies on nutritional issues and special dairy nutrition campaigns. Please browse the Nutrition/Health Research tab for more information. If you need addition information or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Director of Nutrition Education Jennifer Meyer at (402) 592-3355 or toll free at (888) NEB-MILK.