Milk-and-Dairy-Products-in-Human-Nutrition-FAO

Chapter 4 – Milk and dairy products as part of the diet 163
(at least three times a week) and Guatemala (at least twice a week). Although serving
sizes vary, most recommendations are for about 500 ml of milk per day. Exceptions
(excluding those for pregnant/lactating women) are Canada (adolescents 14–18
years old are recommended to consume three to four servings (750–1 000 ml)/day;
Spain (adult women: three to four portions of milk of portion size 200–250 ml);
Ireland (adolescents: at least five servings [945 ml; serving size 1/3 of a pint]) and
South Africa (children 7–13 years: 500–750 ml milk) per day. Countries that recommend
very small daily amounts are: Oman (0.3 cup for children of one to five years
old and 0.5 cup for all other age groups apart from males 14–18 years [1 cup]); the
Netherlands (children one to three years old: 300 ml); Cuba (children of 7–17 years
old and adults of 18–60 years old: one cup of milk); Philippines (240 ml for most
groups); and China (300 g as a general recommendation). Many countries include
other dairy foods such as cheese, yoghurt, custard, ice cream, evaporated milk, powdered
milk and fermented milk in their recommendations, although portion sizes
for these are not always specified. The United States excludes cream, sour cream and
cream cheese from its recommendations because of the low calcium content in these
foods. France excludes ice cream and milk-based desserts with added sugar, and the
United Kingdom excludes butter and cream.
4.12 Conclusion
In this chapter we examine scientific evidence related to the health benefits and
risks of milk and dairy consumption. It is not feasible to complete a comprehensive
health outcome assessment, however, the main points are discussed within the
chapter and a summary of the findings are presented in Table 4.8.
Much has been written on the impact of milk consumption on health, yet more
research is needed, particularly on individual dairy food items. Milk and dairy provide
key nutrients essential for growth and development and milk consumption is
associated with a reduced risk of NCDs such as osteoporosis and possibly colorectal
cancer and T2DM. However, concern has been, and continues to be, expressed
about the association between high dairy consumption and other NCDs, such as
CVD and prostate cancer. Gaps exist in the research literature and randomized
control intervention studies, although expensive, may be needed to examine the
long-term impact of dairy on health. Based on current information, milk and dairy
products can represent an important part of a healthy diet, as long as consumption
levels are not excessive; however any diet that exceeds the daily energy requirements
over a sustained period can lead to potentially significant health risks.
Disclosure statement
Professor Connie Weaver has received a research grant on the role of dairy in body
composition and bone health in children from the Dairy Management Inc. Dr Lisa
Spence was an employee of the United States National Dairy Council from February
2002 through October 2009. She had a consulting contract with the Australian
Dairy Council to write, develop and publish a review on dairy consumption and
health in children in 2011. Ramani Wijesinha-Bettoni and Deirdre McMahon
declare that no financial or other conflict of interest exists in relation to the content
of the chapter.