|
|
 |
|
Sign
up for the NDC Update for the latest dairy nutrition news, fast facts,
free tools for patients, expert nutrition advice and information on updated
dairy nutrition resources.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Educate your patients on the importance of 3-A-Day of Dairy: Here's
a great
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.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Dairy Council Digest
Dairy Food Sensitivity: Facts and Fallacies
Summary
Milk and other dairy foods are important sources of several essential nutrients. In fact, it is difficult to meet calcium needs without including dairy foods in the diet. An adequate intake of calcium throughout life reduces the risk of osteoporosis and possibly other diseases.
Unfortunately, some individuals experience symptoms following intake of milk. Lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy are common reasons given for eliminating milk and other dairy foods from the diet. Failure to understand reactions to food can lead to unnecessary dietary restrictions, nutritional shortcomings, and, although rare, more serious consequences. For these reasons, it is important that the confusion and fallacies regarding lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy be replaced by scientific fact.
Lactose intolerance refers to symptoms resulting from consuming too much lactose (milk sugar) compared to the ability to break it down by the intestinal enzyme, lactase. About 30 million adults in the U.S. have low levels of the enzyme lactase, but the proportion of this group that experiences symptoms, or lactose intolerance, is far less. The development of symptoms (i.e., lactose intolerance) depends on a variety of biological, psychological, and dietary factors.
When diagnosed under medically supervised conditions, lactose intolerance affects a much smaller percentage of people than presumed. Many individuals with low lactase levels (lactose maldigestion) do not even know that they have the condition. Further, a sizeable percentage of people who think they are lactose intolerant in fact do not have this condition.
Several easy strategies are available to manage lactose intolerance. These include consuming milk in smaller servings more frequently throughout the day, especially with meals, eating yogurt with active cultures, and consuming aged cheeses such as Cheddar. Lactose-reduced dairy foods and lactase enzyme tablets are also available.
New research findings indicate that many lactose intolerant individuals can consume one cup or more of milk with a meal without experiencing symptoms. Also, regular intake of lactose appears to improve tolerance to this sugar. Lactose intolerance is not an "all or none" occurrence and each lactose intolerant individual needs to determine the amount of lactose that can be comfortably consumed at a time.
Milk protein allergy is a reaction to one or more of cow's milk proteins mediated by the body's immune system. In contrast to lactose intolerance which generally occurs in adulthood, cow's milk protein allergy is primarily evident in infancy and early childhood. Only about 1% to 3% of the pediatric population is affected by milk protein allergy.
Strict avoidance of cow's milk and cow's milk protein, with careful attention to the nutritional adequacy of the diet, may be indicated if a diagnosis of severe cow's milk protein allergy is made. Fortunately, most children with milk protein allergy outgrow this condition by about three years of age. Because of the important nutritional contribution of dairy foods to the diet, the diagnosis and management of reactions to these foods should be based on science, not strongly held beliefs.
Table of Contents:
|