Articles Tagged with ''dairy nutrition''

This new generation, defined as those ages 20 to 36 in 2017, have different views about food than my generation of baby boomers.

With the start of a new year just around the corner, it would be useful to know what opportunities are looming on the horizon and beyond for cultured products category growth. Consumer decisions in food choices are complicated and multifaceted. But I have identified three category drivers you should consider.

The dairy industry has long touted that “milk contains nine essential nutrients.” And while the nutritional content of milk, cheese and yogurt hasn’t changed, the claims that the industry can make about dairy will be modified in some important ways by the new Nutrition Facts regulations.

Over 2,300 years ago Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Scientists are now beginning to unravel the link between the gut, inflammation and a wide range of central nervous system disorders.

People are living longer, but their golden years are often marked by physical and mental decline. It is estimated that as many as 90% of seniors are deficient in Vitamin D, a critical nutrient for aging bodies and brains. Physicians frequently prescribe a vitamin D supplement, but fortified dairy foods contain a readily absorbable source of this nutrient, plus an overall nutrient package that may be more beneficial to bone, cardiovascular and cognitive health than a pill.

While protein consumption in the United States generally meets the minimum requirements, emerging research indicates a higher-protein diet — while staying within the range of 10% to 35% of total calories (the amount for weight management) — may have benefits for certain populations.

Milk is the genetic blueprint for foods to support health, according to Bruce German, director of the Foods for Health Institute at University of California, Davis. From the moment of conception, a mother’s nutritious diet, including dairy products, promotes health and vitality.

Healthy fruits, especially whole fruits with peel, boost the nutrition of dairy foods.

One association is promoting dairy foods to health care ‘gatekeepers,’ including physician assistants and nurse practitioners who work in schools, churches and drugstores.