Nutrition and Health News Alert
Vol. 12, No. 1

For more information, please contact:
Karen Giles-Smith, M.S., R.D.
517.349.8480 ext. 227
kgs@udim.org

In This Issue:

• New Study Shows Children Benefit From Drinking Chocolate/Flavored Milk
• Calcium + Protein = Stong Bones
• Will Drinking Milk Help Girls Breathe Easier?
• Calcium and Beyond: Dairy Foods and Fruits and Vegetables May Help with Bone Fractures and Hypertension
• FAST FACT: AAP Revised Statement on Pediatric Allergies is Good News for Moms Who Love Milk
• Just in Time for Mothers' Day: MyPyramid Plan for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

New Study Shows Children Benefit From Drinking Chocolate/Flavored Milk

A study released April 1, 2008 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that children who drink flavored or plain milk consume more nutrients and have a lower or comparable body mass index (BMI – a measure of body fatness) than children who don’t drink milk.

“Milk contains many nutrients that are important for children. We learned in our research that children who drink milk, including plain and flavored milk, have higher intakes of many nutrients that are low in children’s diets, and comparable or lower BMIs compared to children who don’t drink milk,” said Mary Murphy, MS, RD, co-author of the study. “Limiting access to flavored milks in schools and elsewhere may have the undesirable effect of further reducing intakes of many essential nutrients provided by milk.”

The study compared nutrient intakes and BMIs among 7,557 U.S. children and adolescents ages two to 18 years drinking flavored milk (with or without plain milk), exclusively plain milk and no milk. All comparisons were adjusted for the amount of calories reported as well as age allowing for differences to be examined based on equal consumption of calories and age distributions. Results showed milk drinkers (flavored and plain) had significantly higher intakes of vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium than non-milk drinkers. In addition, BMI measures of milk drinkers were comparable to or lower than measures of non-milk drinkers. Intake of added sugars did not differ between flavored milk drinkers and non-milk drinkers. Among females 12 to 18 years of age, average calcium intakes by flavored milk drinkers and exclusively plain milk drinkers were nearly double the calcium intakes of non-milk drinkers.

Rachel Johnson, PhD, MPH, RD, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Professor of Nutrition at the University of Vermont, a co-author of the study noted, “Intakes of added sugars were comparable between flavored milk drinkers and non-milk drinkers confirming that the inclusion of flavored milk in the diet does not lead to significantly higher added sugar intakes by children and adolescents."

Murphy MM, Douglass JS, Johnson RK, Spence LA. Drinking flavored or plain milk is positively associated with nutrient intake and is not associated with adverse effects on weight status in U.S. children and adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2008;108:631-639.

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Calcium + Protein = Stong Bones

Mom always said to drink your milk for strong bones. Now a new study shows that it’s the calcium and protein in milk that helps prevent osteoporosis.

Recently published research in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that dietary protein helps build bone mass in teen girls when they consume higher intakes of calcium, but has no effect on bone mass in those with lower calcium intakes. This longitudinal study included 133 young adults with a mean age of 23 years at adulthood that participated in the Canadian Saskatchewan Pediatric Bone Mineral Accrual Study (PBMAS) from 1991-1997 and 2003-2006. Assessments were taken of total body bone mineral content and total body bone mineral density along with dietary intake using 24-hour recalls. Results showed that protein intake had a beneficial effect on the bone mass of females at peri-adolescence or early adulthood consuming greater than 1000 mg of calcium each day. However, young females consuming lower amounts of calcium did not see a significant effect of protein on bone mass. The authors of the study state that their findings suggest that protein intake has a beneficial effect on bone development during a critical time in females’ bone building years and that adequate calcium intake is necessary to see this effect. The authors report that milk products are the main source of dietary calcium and are also the second main food source of protein in the Canadian diet. They also note that in addition to calcium, milk provides potassium and phosphorus, further enhancing the bone building effect of dietary protein.

Vatanparast H, et al. The Effects of Dietary Protein on Bone Mineral Mass in Young Adults May Be Modulated by Adolescent Calcium Intake. Journal of Nutrition. 2007; 137: 2674-2679.
{Scientific synopsis provided by Barbara Baron, MS, RD, CDN, ADADC, Inc.}

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Will Drinking Milk Help Girls Breathe Easier?

Researchers find for the first time that infrequent milk consumption and being overweight is associated with asthma in young girls.

Researchers at the University of Manitoba, studying the relationship between asthma, frequency of milk consumption and being overweight, found that girls with asthma are more likely to be overweight and consume milk infrequently when compared to non-asthmatic girls.

This case-controlled study examined 246 asthmatic and 477 non-asthmatic children between the ages of eight to 10 years. Researchers found a significant association between infrequent milk consumption and asthma in girls.  The odds of having asthma increased 3.6 times for girls who were both infrequent milk consumers and overweight, when compared to girls without asthma. This association was not found in boys.  The researchers concluded that although more research is warranted, infrequent milk consumption in addition to being overweight may increase risk for asthma in girls.

Mai XM, et al. Infrequent Milk Consumption Plus Being Overweight May Have Great Risk for Asthma in Girls. Allergy. 2007; 62: 1295-1301.
{Scientific synopsis provided by Carolyn Suerth Hudson, RD, LD, Midwest Dairy Council}

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Calcium and Beyond: Dairy Foods and Fruits and Vegetables May Help with Bone Fractures and Hypertension

Consumption of dairy foods has benefits beyond bone health, including possibly lowering the risk of high blood pressure.

Key T, et al. Calcium, diet and fracture risk: a prospective study of 1898 incident fractures among 34,696 British women and men. Public Health Nutrition. 2007; 10:1314-1320.
Tylavksy F, et al. The Importance of Calcium, Potassium, and Acid-Base Homeostasis in Bone Health and Osteoporosis Prevention. Journal of Nutrition. 2008; 138: 164S-165S.
{Scientific synopsis provided by Barbara Baron, MS, RD, CDN, ADADC, Inc}

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FAST FACT: AAP Revised Statement on Pediatric Allergies is Good News for Moms Who Love Milk

A new report by the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) concludes that it may be unnecessary for pregnant and lactating women to restrict foods like cow’s milk, eggs and peanuts from their diets to prevent their infants from developing atopic diseases such as eczema, asthma and food allergies. The clinical report, which was published in the January issue of Pediatrics, states that there is a lack of evidence to show that maternal dietary restriction of potentially allergenic foods is effective in preventing the development of atopic disease in their children, with the possible exception of atopic eczema. Evidence does support the finding that exclusive breastfeeding for at least four months decreases the incidence of atopic dermatitis (eczema), cow milk allergy and wheezing in the first few years of childhood. The AAP also recommends that solid foods should not be introduced before four to six months of age and states that there is no convincing evidence indicating that delaying their introduction any longer would prevent the development of atopic disease.

Greer FR, et al. Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease in Infants and Children:  The Role of Maternal Dietary Restrictions, Breastfeeding, Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods and Hydrolyzed Formulas. Pediatrics. 2008; 121: 183-191.
{Scientific synopsis provided by Carolyn Suerth Hudson, RD,LD, Midwest Dairy Council}

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Just in Time for Mothers' Day: MyPyramid Plan for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

The USDA recently added a new Web site to complement the popular and user-friendly MyPyramid.gov, and is titled MyPyramid For Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. This site provides new and expectant moms valuable information on nutritional needs, weight gain, dietary supplements, food safety, special health needs and much more. After entering personal information such as age, due date, height, pre-pregnancy weight and physical activity, the tool provides the user with a personalized eating plan, outlined by trimester of pregnancy or stage of breastfeeding. Similar to the MyPyramid site for the general public, the MyPyramid Plan For Pregnancy and Breastfeeding is based on the USDA’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines and emphasizes consuming adequate servings of the food groups to encourage: whole grains, fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy foods.  For more information, visit www.MyPyramid.gov.

{Scientific synopsis provided by Carolyn Suerth Hudson, RD, LD, Midwest Dairy Council}

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This issue was edited by Jennifer Meyer, RD, LMNT, ADAC of Nebraska Inc. and Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, LDN, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association.

United Dairy Industry of Michigan is a local affiliate of the National Dairy Council. The National Dairy Council^® was founded in 1915 and conducts nutrition education and nutrition research programs through national, state and regional Dairy Council organizations, on behalf of America’s dairy farmers.

To schedule an interview, call 517.349.8480 x227 or e-mail kgs@udim.org.

For delicious dairy recipes visit www.3aday.org or for information on nutrition research, check out www.nationaldairycouncil.org.