2023-04-18 19:41:08
Doctor Rosa Ortega* Doctor of Pharmacy and Professor of Nutrition at the Complutense University of Madrid
The doctor in Pharmacy and professor of Nutrition Rosa María Ortega values in this article that dairy products are valuable foods that should not be excluded from the diet, given that “the consumption of milk, cheese and yogurt in the framework of the Mediterranean diet and a active lifestyle are associated with great health benefits”
Ortega warns in this Opinion Tribune of the hoaxes and fake news that proliferate today, since “the vast majority of the messages that circulate about the dangers associated with the consumption of dairy products are wrong”
Although no food is perfect or complete, so we must follow a varied diet, dairy products are the food group that comes closest to this theoretical ideal, since they provide a wide variety and amount of nutrients in a moderate amount of energy. This means that its consumption contributes to improving the quality of diets and helps to achieve the recommended amount of various nutrients (calcium, vitamin B2…) whose contribution is insufficient in a high percentage of the population.
Dairy products are an important source of proteins, minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, antioxidant components, anti-inflammatories, bioactive peptides, and recent studies indicate that they favorably modulate the composition of the intestinal microbiota.
Despite its importance in a correct diet, in order to achieve optimal nutritional status and maintain and improve health, in recent years numerous myths have circulated, wrongly associating dairy consumption with various health hazards. They have been related to the increased production of mucus, asthma, formation of kidney stones, weight gain…. without reason to justify it, which has even led to the publication of scientific studies that have shown these claims to be wrong.
It is frequently pointed out that humans are the only mammal that consumes milk in the adult stage, but we can do many things that other mammals do not do, if that is useful and beneficial for us. In fact, in the evolution of man, those who maintained lactose tolerance and were able to drink milk to feed themselves had a greater survival, which can be considered an evolutionary advantage.
Only people with a dairy allergy should eliminate these foods from their diet and worry about getting a supply of the nutrients they are going to lack with a well-controlled diet and using supplements of various nutrients.
People with lactose intolerance can eat dairy, choosing the versions with less or lactose-free content, so there is no reason to suppress dairy consumption due to this problem, which has often not been properly diagnosed, but rather assumed by the individual considering their knowledge and perception, which has been proven wrong in many cases. A medical diagnosis of the problem (to know or rule it out) would be desirable to take appropriate measures with greater security.
Three dairy products a day, the recommended average daily ration
The recommended consumption of dairy products is 2-4 servings/day (the highest consumption is recommended in the stages in which calcium needs are highest: adolescence, pregnancy, lactation, advanced age, sport…). The possibility of alternating the consumption of different foods: milk, yogurt, cheese (and its many varieties) makes it easier to reach the recommended consumption.
There is also a great lack of knowledge about adequate consumption, because many people consider their consumption of dairy products sufficient or excessive, when they do not reach the recommended consumption.
Vegetable drinks are not a substitute for dairy
It is important to comment that vegetable drinks (soy, almonds, oats…) do not replace milk, nor its derivatives to other dairy products. They are acceptable foods, which can be consumed within a correct diet, but they are vegetables, not dairy, nor can they replace them. Some of these plant products are enriched with calcium and other nutrients to approximate their composition to milk, but the product is never the same, nor is the milk matrix that has been associated with various health benefits.
Given the current situation and the errors detected around dairy products, it is important to highlight that these are valuable foods that should not be excluded from the diet, given that the consumption of milk, cheese and yogurt within the framework of the Mediterranean diet and a active lifestyle are associated with great health benefits and that the vast majority of messages that circulate about the dangers associated with dairy consumption are wrong.
European campaign “Count on European dairy products”
The European campaign “Count on European dairy products”, promoted by the Interprofessional Dairy Organization (InLac), disseminates the nutritional and healthy values of these foods. Aspects such as quality, traceability, animal welfare, food safety and environmental commitment are strong points of the European production model.
The initiative tries, consequently, to inform from a scientific perspective of the values that are behind the dairy sector, also in the environmental field. The dairy sector is very sensitive to climate change, and for this reason, it is working on a roadmap to achieve climate neutrality, which begins by evaluating the levels of emissions associated with the production, processing and marketing of dairy products. The goal is to progressively reduce emissions to produce the same amount of milk, optimizing resources and reducing our environmental footprint. In addition, the pastures themselves are a natural carbon sink, and livestock activity helps to maintain them.
In InLac’s opinion, public opinion should be aware of all the positive implications derived from grazing, which helps disperse seeds, thus favoring the regeneration of plant species, while helping to prevent forest fires.
A dairy sector, in short, firmly committed to the production of quality food, and each day more respectful of the Planet.
*PhD in Pharmacy and Professor of Nutrition at the Complutense University of Madrid
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