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Health & Nutrition News Alert

May - June 2000 (Vol. 4 No. 3)

Dairy May Help Dieters Lose Weight
Besides being an excellent source of key nutrients, dairy foods may provide another benefit for those trying to take off the pounds. According to new research, high calcium diets provided by non-fat dry milk substantially reduced body fat in calorie-restricted mice. Obese mice were fed one of the following diets: a low calcium diet, a high calcium diet provided by a calcium supplement, a medium dairy diet or a high dairy diet. The three calcium-rich diets all substantially decreased body fat in the mice. However, the greatest decrease in body fat was found with the high dairy diet – body fat decreased by 69 percent. This further supports research presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) annual meeting in November 1999 connecting dairy food consumption with weight loss.

Zemel, et al: "Effects of dietary calcium on adipocyte lipid metabolism and body weight regulation in energy-restricted mice." The FASEB Journal 2000; A790.

Older Americans Need to Bone Up on Dairy
Recent research reinforces that you never outgrow your need for dairy foods! Calcium recommendations go up to 1,200 mg for individuals over age 50 because the body’s ability to absorb calcium decreases with age, making it even more important to meet daily calcium recommendations. In a new study, researchers looked at the calcium intake and absorption of more than 5,000 women over the age of 69. They found women with low calcium absorption were at a greater risk for hip fractures. But women who also had very low calcium intakes (less than 400 mg/day) were two and a half times as likely to experience hip fractures than women who had more efficient calcium absorption.

Kristine E. Ensrud, et al: "Low fractional calcium absorption increases the risk for hip fracture in women with low calcium intake," American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine 2000; 132: 345-353.

Family Dinner Brings More Nutrients to the Table
Family dinners may provide more benefits than you think. A new study looked at the nutritional quality of the diets of 16,000 children ages 9-14 and found those children who ate dinner with the family more often had better overall nutrient intakes. The results showed those who ate dinner as a family had a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as nutrients such as folate, calcium, iron and vitamins B6, B12, C and E. Children and teens who ate dinner with their families had an overall lower consumption of fat, soda and fried foods. The researchers also found kids and teens who never or infrequently ate dinner with their family consumed one less serving of dairy foods each day (about 350 mg of calcium) than those who ate dinner with their family every day. Today, nearly 9 out of 10 teenage girls and 7 out of 10 teenage boys do not meet their calcium recommendations.

Gillman, M. W., et al: "Family dinner and diet quality among older children and adolescents," Archives of Family Medicine 2000; 9(3): 235-240.

{Editor’s note: At least four servings a day of milk, cheese and yogurt can help teens achieve the recommended daily intake of calcium. For a consumer brochure with recipes to help include more milk in the diet, call 1-800-WHY-MILK and ask for the "Make it Better With Milk" brochure.}

Information from the Experts on Lactose Intolerance
Got questions about minorities and lactose intolerance? We can provide you the answers with an informative new article posted on the National Dairy Council’s Web site. Just go to www.nationaldairycouncil.org and click on the "Nutrition Clinic," then "Nutrition Issues Update." You can also check out the News Alert archive section for information on the new Dietary Guidelines, how calcium may help prevent cancer or a research review showcasing dairy’s importance in helping to build strong bones. Coming soon: Send people to the "Dairy Case" section of nationaldairycouncil.org for tips about tolerance and other facts on lactose intolerance.

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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.