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free tools for patients, expert nutrition advice and information on updated
dairy nutrition resources.
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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.
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Dairy Council Digest Archives
3-A-Day of Dairy Campaign
Introduction
Americans' low calcium intake is a major public health problem recognized by leading national health organizations and government groups, as well as medical and other health experts (1-9). Beginning in childhood and continuing throughout adult years, many Americans fail to consume current recommended intakes of calcium (10,11). Low calcium intake is largely explained by inadequate consumption of dairy products (1,12-14).
To meet calcium needs, milk and other dairy products are considered to be the preferred and leading source (1,12). Milk and other dairy products contribute 72% of the calcium available in the U.S. food supply (15). Although some other foods (e.g., broccoli, pinto beans) naturally contain calcium, their calcium content is generally lower than that of dairy foods. Because of dairy foods' high calcium content, consuming these foods makes a major contribution to calcium intake (9,12, 16-18). According to a nationwide survey of school-aged children 5 to17 years, only those who consumed milk at the noon meal met or exceeded calcium recommendations for that meal or for the entire day (17).
Consuming 3-A-Day of dairy – three servings of milk, cheese, and yogurt – provides calcium as well as other essential nutrients needed to build strong bones and healthy bodies.
Milk and other dairy foods are nutrient dense, providing calcium as well as eight other essential nutrients (i.e., vitamins A, D, and B12, protein, potassium, riboflavin, niacin [niacin equivalents] and phosphorus) (19). Because of dairy foods' high nutrient density, their inclusion in the diet improves overall nutritional quality (12,16,20,21). Dairy products such as milk also are an economical source of nutrients such as calcium and high-quality protein(5,9,22). There is a wide variety of dairy products, including lowfat and nonfat versions, to meet everyone's taste and nutritional needs.
Several groups advocate consumption of calcium-rich foods such as milk and other dairy foods to achieve and maintain strong bones (1-9,11). In addition, adequate intake of calcium/dairy foods helps to reduce the risk of hypertension, some cancers, and other disorders (1-9,12,23).
To optimize the American public's calcium intake, the dairy industry, with supporting partners such as the National Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, has launched a "3-A-Day" of milk, cheese, and yogurt for stronger bones campaign. This Digest reviews this integrated marketing and education campaign and the foundation for its development, specifically the calcium crisis in America and the mounting scientific evidence supporting dairy and calcium's beneficial role in bone and overall health.
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