2011 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Report - Innovation Center for US Dairy

Nutrition and Health
NUTRITIONAL LABELING:
Nutrition-conscious consumers
often rely on food labels and
nutrition claims about the
benefits of dairy foods to inform
their choices. Compliance with
regulations relating to labeling
and marketing claims is a priority
for the dairy industry. Marketing
messages and claims promoted
through multiple channels have
oversight by FDA and the Federal
Trade Commission, as well as
USDA for certain environmentalrelated
claims.
The potential healthcare
cost savings from three
to four daily servings of
dairy has been estimated
at more than $200 billion
over a five-year period. 72
Dairy’s Nutrient Profile:
Dairy foods (milk, cheese
and yogurt) are valuable
sources of many essential
nutrients that promote
good health, including
calcium, potassium,
vitamins A, D and B12,
protein, phosphorus,
riboflavin, magnesium and zinc. More than half of the
calcium and vitamin D that Americans get from the foods
they eat is from dairy, and about one-fourth of the vitamin
A, vitamin B12, phosphorus and riboflavin from foods is
from dairy. In addition, milk is the number one food source
of calcium, vitamin D and potassium, 73 which are nutrients
of public health concern. 74 Still, 85 percent of Americans
are not consuming the recommended amounts of milk and
milk products. 75 The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
(DGA) recommend three daily servings of low-fat and fatfree
milk and milk products for individuals nine years and
older; two and a half daily servings for four to eight year
olds and 2 daily servings for two to three year olds. 76
On average, Americans consume 1.7 dairy servings a day. 77
Increasing dairy consumption to three daily servings can
help people meet the recommended intakes of many
essential nutrients. 78 An increasing body of evidence
highlights dairy’s potential to lower the risk of certain
diseases, including osteoporosis, hypertension, type 2
diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 79 For example, a
recent study of post-menopausal women reported that
a diet higher in low-fat dairy products and yogurt was
associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. 80
More consumers are recognizing that dairy products
can be a valuable source of high-quality protein. In
fact, dairy contributes 18 percent of the protein in the
American diet. 81 A diet higher in protein can promote
satiety 82 — feeling full after or between meals — which
may contribute to eating fewer calories and help with
weight management. 83
Aspects beyond nutritional content also contribute to
dairy’s valuable role in a healthy diet. Emerging research
using food pattern models and national dietary survey
data shows that replacing dairy foods with recommended
alternate calcium-containing foods would require a
significant shift in usual diet patterns and would affect
the overall nutritional profile of the diet. 84 In addition to
being nutrient-rich, dairy foods are affordable and readily
available at grocery and convenience stores, schools
and restaurants, and are not easily replaced without
trade-offs. For example, one serving of low-fat milk costs
approximately 25 cents and provides at least 10 percent
of the Daily Value for nine essential nutrients at about
100 calories. By comparison, ten 20-cent servings of raw
spinach provide the same amount of calcium also for
about 100 calories but do not provide vitamin D, protein
and other essential nutrients found in a serving of milk.
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee noted in its
2010 report, “the amount of many potential alternatives
[to milk and milk products] to provide sufficient calcium
would provide too many calories and/or be a large amount
to consume daily” and the “bioavailability of the calcium
in vegetable products has not been addressed and could
pose a concern.” 85 Research examining the impact of
replacing dairy with commonly consumed foods on diet
quality, affordability, calories, amounts of foods needed,
calcium bioavailability, protein quality, acceptability and
accessibility will continue to emerge.
Children’s Health: Because dairy foods play an important
role in child growth and development, the dairy industry
supports broad-based child health and wellness initiatives,
such as the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a nonprofit
organization that works to address childhood obesity.
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