Moove to lowfat milk
Rhonda Gordon
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Have you met Carlos and Clarice?
If you have young children you have probably at least heard of them.
If you were watching the Super Bowl commercials you might have seen Carlos and Clarice. Carlos and Clarice are the spokespersons (cows) for the campaign to MOOVE to Lowfat Milk.
Calcium is found in a wide variety of plant and animal foods and is important in our diet. In the United States, 50 percent of our dietary intake of calcium comes from milk, cheese and other dairy products.
Another 20 percent of our calcium intake comes from milk and cheese used as ingredients in meat, grain and vegetable mixtures. This could be pizza, tacos, cheeseburgers, and/or broccoli with cheese sauce.
The remainder comes from other foods that contain calcium, including foods such as broccoli, kale, okra, beet greens, oranges, sardines, salmon with bones, and almonds.
The calcium in dairy products is more concentrated with a higher density and is of the type that is best absorbed by our bodies.
Here is a trivia question we are using in the elementary school this month when we are talking about different kinds of milk and moving to 1 percent or skim milk. How many cups of broccoli would you have to eat to equal the amount of calcium in 1 cup of milk? Think about it for a minute. You would have to eat 3 1/2 cups of broccoli to equal the calcium in 1 cup of milk.
What health benefits do calcium rich foods offer? Our intake of calcium rich foods and dairy products play important roles in the promotion of health, the prevention of several chronic diseases, and other vital functions.
Ninty-nine percent of our body’s calcium is found in our teeth and in our bones. So early in life and throughout our lives, calcium intake contributes greatly to healthy teeth and strong bones.
Calcium and dairy foods have also shown to play beneficial roles in a variety of risk factors that affect chronic diseases and disorders, including hypertension or high blood pressure, being overweight and blood-lipid levels.
The level of calcium in the blood must also be maintained to perform these life-sustaining functions: contracting and relaxing of muscles — including the heart beat. Coagulation of blood, transmission of nerve impulses, enzyme reactions and hormone secretions and cell integrity. If calcium is not available in the blood for these functions, our bodies will take calcium from our bones!
Calcium is important for the development of teeth. The teeth begin to form in the first few months of fetal life and the mineralization process continues into late adolescence.
With increasing intake of soda pop, powdered beverages and fruit drinks, there is the potential to increase dental decay for at least a couple of reasons. Milk, a calcium rich beverage, is being replaced with beverages that contain little or no calcium. This may contribute to a decrease in daily calcium intake. These sweetened beverages cause the teeth to be continuously bathed in these sweet liquids. This can lead to dental decay at a very early age.
An adequate intake of calcium, as well as other minerals, vitamin D and protein are all needed for proper development of teeth. Calcium and calcium-rich foods, including milk and cheese may help protect against dental decay and periodontal disease.
Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease that is associated with low calcium intakes and results in thin and porous bones. The bones become fragile and can break spontaneously in even minor falls. Direct health-care costs for treatment of fractures from osteoporosis are estimated at $10 to $15 billion per year. As our population over the age of 50 increases, this cost could also increase. By the year 2020, it is estimated that half of Americans over the age of 50 will have or be at risk for osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is sometimes referred to as the pediatric disease with geriatric consequences. Building healthy bones begins early in life. The bone mass that is built up early in life is perhaps the most important factor that determines lifelong skeletal health.
Osteoporosis experts agree that an optimal intake of calcium throughout life — from early childhood and adolescence through adult years — reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Bones are living tissue and are continually building and replacing tissue.
Young children’s bodies need sufficient calcium to support growth spurts. This need peaks during preteen and teenage years, when 45 percent or more of the body’s total skeletal mass is formed.
So we need to begin establishing healthy eating patterns early in life and include food choices that will build bone mass. We need to support opportunities for physical activity from childhood through adolescence and throughout the adult years, so that we are building healthy bones from the beginning and maintaining them for a lifetime.
When we eat a diet high in fat, cholesterol and saturated fats, it can increase our chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke. This type of diet also increases the possibility of becoming overweight. For years, we have seen this happening in adults. Now we are seeing a similar unhealthy trend in children.
By offering lower fat forms of dairy products to people over the age of 2, we may help reduce fat, saturated fat and cholesterol in their eating patterns, thereby reducing the health risks associated with high-fat diets.
There is a misperception that milk and other dairy products are fattening. This has led some teenage girls and women to limit intake of dairy products in an attempt to lose weight. Emphasizing the benefits as well as the excellent taste of lowfat dairy products may help. Offering other food sources of calcium may also be beneficial in keeping calcium intakes at a healthy level.
If you’re currently using whole or 2 percent milk, next time you’re at the store, buy a small carton of 1 percent milk and do a taste test at home. See whether you could make the switch to a lower-fat milk. You can step down gradually or start by substituting a lower-fat milk in your recipes. All types of milk, whether it is whole or skim, have the same amount of vitamins and minerals. They just have lower amounts of fat and calories.
There is also a misconception that skim milk costs more. If you do a quick study at your local stores, you will find that whole milk is usually the most expensive and skim milk is usually the least expensive.
So join Carlos and Clarice in the Moove to Lowfat Milk!
F Rhonda Gordon is the Family and Consumer Sciences agent for K-State Research and Extension in Lyon County. For more information on this column, nutrition, food safety, parenting, financial management, health and safety e-mail her at rgordon@ksu.edu or call the Lyon County Extension Office at 341-3220.