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Dairy Council Digest Archives
Health Benefits of Dairy Foods for Minorities
Introduction
Racial and ethnic minority groups make up a larger share of the U.S. population than ever before (1). These groups include African Americans, Hispanics (i.e., Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans), American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians, and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders (2). Although African Americans are now the country's largest minority group, by 2010 the Hispanic population is expected to outnumber African Americans. The Asian American population and, to a lesser extent, the Indian and Alaskan Native population are also experiencing increases in growth (3).
The rise in culturally distinct groups in the U.S. is increasing awareness of their health, and, in particular, health disparities between minorities and Whites (4). Compared to Whites, many minority population groups face higher risks for several major chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers (5-7). A major goal of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2010 is to eliminate health disparities based on race and ethnicity (4).
Considering many minorities' low intake of calcium and high risk for calcium deficiency-related diseases, efforts need to be made to encourage minorities to consume calcium-rich dairy products.
Accumulating scientific research indicates that consumption of dairy foods and dairy food nutrients such as calcium helps to protect against some chronic diseases dis-proportionately threatening many minority groups (8). For example, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study found that a low fat diet rich in lowfat dairy foods, fruits, and vegetables was twice as effective in reducing blood pressure in African American groups as in Whites (9,10). Unfortunately, some minority groups avoid dairy products because of perceived or real lactose intolerance, thereby limiting their intake of calcium and other essential nutrients for health (8,11). Yet, research demonstrates that most minorities such as African Americans with lactose maldiges-tion can consume a dairy-rich diet without developing symptoms of intolerance (11,12) . This Digest reviews minorities' consumption of dairy foods and dairy food nutrients, in particular calcium; barriers to consuming a dairy rich diet; and dairy's role in reducing risks for some major chronic diseases afflicting minorities.
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