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Milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy items contain nine essential nutrients, which may help to better manage your weight, reduce your risk for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and some cancers. Whether it's protein to help build and repair the muscle tissue of active bodies or vitamin A to help maintain healthy skin, dairy products are an important part of a healthy diet. The good news about dairy products is that besides tasting great, research shows dairy can also help keep you healthy.
Osteoporosis Osteoporosis affects more than 28 million Americans. One reason for that high number is that most people aren't getting enough in their diet. Consuming at least three servings of milk, yogurt or cheese a day is an important step to help build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis.
High Blood Pressure High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects 50 million Americans and is a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Studies have shown that a low fat diet with 3 servings of dairy products and 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables significantly lowers blood pressure, especially when combined with a low sodium intake.
Obesity Low fat dairy foods such as milk, yogurt and cheese, may help control body fat, according to several studies published in the last year.
Women who consumed the most calcium and ate at least 3 servings of dairy foods per day were 80% less likely to be obese than those with the lowest intake. Young women (18-31 years) enrolled in an exercise study who had high calcium intakes gained less weight and body fat than those with lower calcium intakes. High calcium intake was consistently associated with lower body weight across 4 studies conducted in young, middle-aged and elderly women. Dieters tend to mistakenly cut milk from their diet for fear of fat, reducing their calcium intake, and this may be a contributing factor for their frequent failures at losing weight. Researchers analyzed the diets of preschool children over a 3-year period and found children with higher dairy and calcium intake had lower body fat than those children with lower dairy and calcium intakes. These results are supported by research on adults showing a connection between dairy food consumption and weight loss.
Colon Cancer A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows calcium may help reduce the risk of colon tumors. A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association examined the effects of consuming more dairy foods among 70 people at risk for colon cancer. Positive changes were observed in the high-dairy intake group, including a reduction in the growth of abnormal cells.
"Whether you are 6, 16, or 60, the nutrients found in milk and other dairy products are critical to good health and the prevention of chronic disease," said Ann Marie Krautheim, a registered dietitian for the National Dairy Council. "For a powerful nutrient punch - dash to the dairy aisle."
Click here for a bone health quiz from Web MD:
--statistics from the American Dairy Association
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It’s National Dairy Month…. and what better time to think about the health benefits of dairy products? The first thing most people associate with dairy products is calcium—bone health. Certainly, osteoporosis (the loss of bone) is a serious condition, but it gives one more reason to celebrate the health benefits of dairy products!
