The decrease in the consumption of milk and dairy products may have its origin in the currents that have emerged in recent years, which advise reducing or eliminating their intake as the child ages, which may have a negative influence on their health and their nutritional habits . A gross error, according to the professor of Nutrition at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Complutense University of Madrid, Rosa Mª Ortega, for whom dairy «are foods of high nutritional value, whose dietary restriction can be associated with various nutritional and health problems ».
Likewise, this specialist confirms that, although the average consumption of dairy products in the population is similar to that recommended (2-3 servings / day), adults and children take less than the 2 recommended servings of dairy per day. Specifically, 77 percent of children and 42 percent of adults consume less calcium than recommended. Meanwhile, other studies show that children who take more than three servings of dairy products a day are a minority group, but with a more adequate supply of calcium and other nutrients than children with a lower consumption. “The barriers that limit dairy consumption must be analyzed, seeking maximum health and nutritional benefits,” he warns. In his opinion, « dairyThey also play an important role in the prevention of some diseases , since consuming the recommended daily amounts of milk and dairy products for each age, within a healthy and balanced diet, can help maintain health and prevent some diseases such as type diabetes II, hypertension and obesity ».
Disease prevention
There are, according to the president of the Ibero-American Nutrition Foundation, Ángel Gil, at least five reasons why the recommendations for intake of milk and dairy products should be met in all age groups: “they are the best allies for bones, they help control blood pressure, prevent overweight and obesity, are associated with a lower incidence of type II diabetes and lower cholesterol levels. ”
Also defending the intake of dairy products is the Research Professor “ad honorem” of the Higher Council for Scientific Research, Manuela Juárez, who recalls that the content of saturated fatty acids in milk fat has been “indiscriminately” used as an argument to relate the intake of dairy products with cardiovascular diseases . What’s more: According to asserted Juárez, there is “contrasted” scientific evidence that the consumption of milk and milk products low in saturated fatty acids may have a “neutral or inverse” effect associated with cardiovascular risk.
Another who defends his kindness is the president of the Spanish Nutrition Society , Luis Moreno Aznar, who explains that, according to a recent study by the “Helena” group, the consumption of milk and yogurt in adolescents was associated with less amount of total and abdominal fat, valued by measuring the adipose panniculus and hip circumference, respectively. These results coincide, according to the expert, with other studies such as that of Framingham, which seems to indicate the protective effect of these foods in terms of the development of obesity and other associated diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension. “Obesity is a preventable disease and this should be a priority, since children with obesity are more likely to present it in adulthood as well,” he said.
