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Educate your patients on the importance of 3-A-Day of Dairy: Here's
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tool (PDF: 618k) to show families how to get their 3-A-Day of Dairy
every day for stronger bones.
Developed in conjunction with The American Academy of Family
Physicians, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Dietetic
Association, and The National Medical Association.
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Dairy Council Digest Archives
Dairy Foods: Myths & Realities
Summary
Health professional organizations and government agencies recognize the nutritional and health benefits of milk and other dairy foods. USDA's Food Guide Pyramid recommends two to three servings/day of Milk Group foods for everyone two years of age and over. Despite overwhelming support for dairy foods, myths linking milk/dairy intake to an array of possible health problems arise. Some special interest groups with political or ideological agendas promote these myths in an effort to discourage consumption of animal products. Myths regarding dairy foods not only are unfounded but, if acted upon, can also jeopardize health. This Digest identifies some current myths related to dairy foods and reviews the scientific facts dispelling these myths.
The myth that minority groups such as African Americans should avoid milk and other dairy products because of lactose intolerance is not supported by scientificevidence. Lactose maldigestion (i.e., low levels of the intestinal enzyme lactase necessary to digest lactose or milk's sugar) is higher among some minority groups such as African Americans than Caucasians. However, studies demonstrate that lactose maldigesters can consume the recommended number of Milk Group servings by using a few simple dietary strategies (e.g., consuming milk with meals, yogurt with active cultures, and aged cheeses). Avoiding or limiting dairy foods, the major source of calcium, is particularly serious for minorities such as African Americans who are already at a disproportionately high risk of calcium-related chronic diseases such as hypertension, stroke, and colon cancer. New research indicates that risk of osteoporosis among African Americans is higher than previously assumed.
Likewise, the myth that intake of dairy products increases the risk of heart disease is unfounded. On the contrary, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan including low fat dairy products may help to reduce the risk of heart disease by its beneficial effect on blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood homocysteine levels. Findings from epidemiological studies demonstrate that intake of dairy foods or dairy food nutrients (e.g., calcium, potassium, magnesium) is inversely associated with stroke.
There is no persuasive evidence to support the myth that consumption of milk and other dairy products causes cancer. On the contrary, intake of dairy foods may reduce the risk of some cancers, notably colon cancer. Moreover, several dairy food components such as vitamin D, calcium, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and sphingolipids may potentially protect against cancer.
Also unsupported by scientific evidence are claims that early exposure to cow's milk increases the risk of Type 1 diabetes; that calcium-rich foods such as milk should be avoided to reduce kidney stones; and that milk causes mucus production in the throat. Although some infants (2% to 7%), particularly if genetically predisposed or fed cow's milk before one year of age, may develop cow's milk allergy, this condition usually disappears by two to three years of age and is rare in adults.
Myths related to dairy foods raise unfounded health concerns about these foods. Conversely, a justifiable health concern is the low intake of milk and dairy products in the United States. Numerous studies support dairy's beneficial role in health and disease prevention.
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