World Milk Day丨Dietary Guidelines "update" milk intake, these 6 types of people should drink more milk!

Milk is a common drink in our daily life. It is not only delicious, but also the first choice for calcium supplementation. The relevant departments have always attached great importance to the issue of milk drinking among Chinese residents.

The 2022 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents places special emphasis on milk intake, increasing the recommended daily intake of milk and dairy products from 300 grams per day in the original 2016 version to 300-500 grams per day in the new version. This change further confirms the importance of drinking milk!

Image source: Chinese Nutrition Society

However, most people in our country do not drink the recommended amount. According to data from the "Scientific Research Report on China's Dietary Guidelines 2021", in 2015, the per capita milk intake in my country's cities only reached 42% of the recommended amount in the 2016 edition of the Dietary Guidelines, and it was even lower in rural areas.

Image source: "Scientific Research Report on Chinese Dietary Guidelines 2021"

Why should we drink more milk? Which groups of people should pay more attention to drinking milk? This article will talk about milk.

01

Nutritional value of milk

Milk is a nutritious and healthy drink. It is not only easy to digest and absorb, but also a good source of calcium.

Every 100 grams of pure milk contains 107 mg of calcium. Drinking 300-500 grams a day can meet 40% to 66% of the general population's daily calcium needs.

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Milk can provide high-quality protein and vitamin B2. 300 ml of pure milk can provide about 9 grams of protein and 0.36 mg of vitamin B2, which can meet 16.4% and 26% of the daily recommended amount for adult women respectively. In addition, the ratio of essential amino acids in the protein in milk meets the needs of the human body and has a high absorption and utilization rate.

In addition, the lactose in milk can also promote the absorption of minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc.

02

These 6 types of people should drink milk

1. Children and adolescents

Compared with adults, children and adolescents need more calcium, which is 1000-1200 mg/day . Calcium plays an important role in enabling children and adolescents to achieve optimal peak bone mass, and calcium deficiency will directly affect bone development.

Data source: Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents, Map by Xue Qingxin

Adequate calcium intake during this period can increase bone mineral content, promote bone growth, and benefit bone health. It will also directly affect bone health in adulthood. If calcium deficiency is serious during this period, it will not only affect height but also increase the risk of osteoporosis in adulthood.

Therefore, it is recommended that children and adolescents drink enough milk.

2. Menopausal women

The level of endogenous estrogen in menopausal women decreases, which cannot inhibit the action of osteoclasts, leading to accelerated bone loss. If calcium intake is insufficient during this period, the risk of osteoporosis will increase, which will make fractures more likely and seriously affect women's health.

As early as 1984, the National Institutes of Health held a seminar on calcium and osteoporosis, raising the daily calcium intake of menopausal women from 800 mg/day to 1500 mg/day. China's "Expert Consensus on Core Information for Menopausal Health Management" states that women should ensure a daily calcium intake of 1000 mg during menopause.

Milk and its dairy products can increase bone density in postmenopausal women, including the spine, femoral neck, hip and whole body bone density.

3. Elderly people

As people age, bone loss accelerates, and the risk of osteoporosis in the elderly increases significantly. Studies have shown that in 2016, the prevalence of osteoporosis in the elderly over 60 years old in my country was 36%, including 23% for men and 49% for women.

Don’t underestimate osteoporosis, it can be fatal. About 75 million people in the United States, Europe, and Japan suffer from osteoporosis, and the mortality rate is as high as 10%-24%, mainly hip fractures that are the most harmful.

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In addition, the elderly have decreased gastrointestinal function, liver and kidney function, and less outdoor activities, which means they need to consume more calcium. The recommended intake is 1000 mg/day .

4. People with hypertension

Milk can not only supplement calcium, but also potassium. If you drink 300 grams a day, you can take in 540 mg of potassium, which can meet 27% of the daily potassium requirement of the general population and help control blood pressure. Some active polypeptide structures produced after the decomposition of casein and whey protein in milk are helpful in lowering blood pressure; calcium can promote the excretion of sodium from urine. Low calcium intake will enhance the effect of sodium salt on raising blood pressure, which is not conducive to controlling blood pressure. In addition, people with hypertension generally have a heavy taste and consume more salt on weekdays. A high-salt diet will increase the loss of calcium in the body.

Taking the above factors into consideration, it is recommended that patients with hypertension should pay attention to their milk intake.

5. People with high blood sugar

The occurrence of type 2 diabetes is closely related to lifestyle and dietary factors. It is currently believed that calcium, protein and certain fatty acids in milk can prevent type 2 diabetes . Because the release of insulin requires the participation of calcium, insufficient calcium intake will change the balance of calcium ions in the intracellular and extracellular calcium pools of pancreatic β cells, ultimately affecting the normal release of insulin; whey protein can improve insulin resistance.

Animal experiments have also shown that adequate calcium can reduce the body weight and serum total cholesterol levels of rats and improve hyperinsulinemia. In addition, conjugated linoleic acid in milk can significantly improve hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in rats.

Therefore, it is recommended that people who need to control blood sugar drink more milk.

6. People with high uric acid

High uric acid levels can lead to gout attacks, and milk and its products can play a preventive role. First, the casein and whey protein in milk can promote the excretion of uric acid; secondly, dairy products can promote the kidneys to excrete xanthine, a precursor of uric acid. The excretion of xanthine increases significantly 1-2 hours after consuming milk, up to 200%, which may have the effect of lowering uric acid.

In addition, studies have shown that dairy products, especially low-fat milk, can reduce uric acid levels. Therefore, patients with high uric acid and gout can choose low-fat milk.

03

How to reach the recommended daily milk intake?

For the general population, it is not difficult to meet the daily intake of 300-500 grams recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents, but some people do not like the taste of pure milk, so it is a bit difficult for them to drink enough milk.

In fact, for people who don’t like the taste of milk, you can make milkshakes with milk and fruits, such as strawberry milkshake, banana milkshake, mango milkshake, etc. The taste is mostly acceptable; you can also use milk or milk powder to make egg custard and steamed buns; yogurt and cheese are also good choices.

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Calculated according to the protein ratio: 12.5 grams of milk powder is equivalent to 100 grams of milk, and the recommended daily intake is 37.5-62.5 grams; 100 grams of yogurt is equivalent to 100 grams of milk, and the recommended daily intake is 300-500 grams; 10 grams of dry cheese is equivalent to 100 grams of milk, and the recommended daily intake is 30-50 grams.

04

How can people with lactose intolerance ensure milk intake?

Drinking milk is difficult for people with lactose intolerance! As long as these people drink milk, they will experience abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and other symptoms. To avoid these uncomfortable symptoms, you can try the following methods:

1. Don’t drink milk on an empty stomach

You can drink 60-120 ml of pure milk at each meal, 2-3 times a day, for 3 weeks to observe, which will slowly induce the intestines to enhance tolerance to lactose.

2. Yogurt

Yogurt is made by fermenting probiotics. During the fermentation process, lactose will be broken down and utilized by probiotics. Microbial fermentation of lactose will produce lactic acid, reducing the lactose content, so drinking yogurt will not cause obvious lactose intolerance.

3. Cheese

Cheese is also a fermented dairy product, and the lactose content will be significantly reduced after fermentation. However, the sodium content of cheese is often high, so you should pay attention to the salt content when choosing cheese. It is also recommended to choose original cheese.

4. Note! Milk-containing beverages are not equal to milk

Only a portion of milk-containing beverages is milk, and the rest is mainly water. Their nutritional value cannot be compared with that of milk. Specifically, the milk protein content of milk-containing beverages is not as good as that of milk. In addition, milk-containing beverages contain white sugar, and most of them belong to the category of sugary beverages. For infants and young children, because their immune systems are not yet fully developed, their liver's detoxification ability is weak. The chemically synthesized sweeteners in milk beverages are not easy to decompose after consumption and can easily cause damage to the liver. On the other hand, it may also lead to excessive sugar intake and cause childhood obesity.

05

Summarize

"A glass of milk a day makes Chinese people strong." Drinking enough milk is good for health, but be careful not to choose milk-containing beverages! For those who like to drink milk and can drink more than 500 ml a day, it is recommended to choose low-fat milk or skim milk.

References:

[1] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents[M]. People's Medical Publishing House. 2022

[2] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 2[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[3] Yang Yuexin, Ge Keyou. Chinese Nutrition Science Encyclopedia 2nd Edition (Volume 2)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2019

[4] Gu Jingfan, Du Shouyin, Guo Changjiang. Modern Clinical Nutrition. Science Press. 2009. 2nd edition

[5] Mao Xuanxia, ​​Hong Weiqi. Effects of calcium and vitamin D nutritional status in children and adolescents on bone health in adulthood[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2006(01):58-61.

[6] Ma Yuanzheng, Wang Yipeng, Liu Qiang, Li Chunlin, Ma Xun, Wang Yongjun, Deng Lianfu, He Liang, Yang Nailong, Chen Bohua, Qiu Guixing, Zhu Hanmin, Tao Tianzun, Qin Ling, Wang Liang, Cheng Xiaoguang. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in the elderly in China (2018)[J]. Chinese Journal of Health Management, 2018, 12(06): 484-509.

[7] Qin Liqiang, Wang Peiyu, Li Wei, Tong Xing. Research progress on the relationship between milk and its products and type 2 diabetes[J]. Health Research, 2009, 38(04): 499-501. DOI: 10.19813/j.cnki.weishengyanjiu.2009.04.039.

[8] Tian Fang, Shao Chunhai, Liu Jingfang. Milk and dairy product intake reduces serum uric acid levels in gout patients[J]. Shanghai Medicine, 2013, 34(05): 9-11.

[9] Chen Jian, Sai Xiaoyong. Research progress on lactose intolerance[J]. Chinese Journal of Epidemiology, 2016, 37(2):299-302.

Author: Xue Qingxin, member of Chinese Nutrition Society, registered nutrition technician, health manager, public nutritionist

Review｜Han Hongwei, Researcher at the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center

Produced by: Science Popularization China-Creation Cultivation Program

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