Milk: Good or Bad?

As a kid, I remember that no one questioned the belief that drinking milk was good for children. Your parents told you to drink it and you did.

So what is different today?

Well, since my younger days, lots of research has been produced that takes a closer look at the benefits of dairy products and confused the issues of what kind and how much milk kids need and when they need it – if they need it at all.

So let’s cover these question points one by one and then get to some other interesting milk data. Let’s lay out the research at hand so maybe, just maybe, some sense can be made of the good or bad milk dilemma.

What kind of milk is best for kids – whole or low-fat?

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Nutrition believes that whole is needed by children (until they are 2) because the fat in it is needed for nerve and brain development. Children who are gaining weight too fast for their height may be better off drinking low-fat milk before 2 years of age.

When children are 2, the Academy recommends that they drink 1% or 2% milk. This keeps children in line with a diet that moderates the amount of fat and cholesterol ingested. As long as children don’t develop weight issues 1% or 2% milk can be their milk choice for their lifetime. There is no real need to switch to skim milk unless this problem develops and cannot be attributed to other causes. The Academy states that the fat in even 1% or 2% milk is necessary for children’s nerve development for many years.

How much milk is enough for children?

Over the last few years, the U.S. dietary guidelines have reflected an increase in the number of servings of dairy products recommended for children between 4 and 8 years old from 2 to 3 per day. For those under 4, the serving recommendation has remained at 2. Please note that older children (9 to 18 years of age) recommendations are for 4 daily servings. And remember that 1 cup of milk or yogurt or 1 ½ oz. of cheese can take the place of a serving of milk.

The trick with subbing dairy products for milk is that they all don’t have the same amounts of protein, calcium or vitamin D. Yogurt has more protein and more calcium than does milk – but it lacks vitamin D. So, when trying to give options for milk, become a label reader and make sure that essentials aren’t subbed out.

When do kids need milk?

Since babies’ (under 12 months) tummies don’t handle cow’s milk well – and it doesn’t have the essential nutrients that mom’s breast milk and formula contains – it is pretty generally accepted that babies shouldn’t have it until they are past the year mark.

On to the other milk data…

What else should be known?

What about the belief that milk is good for children’s bones?
Today’s research shows that the long-term bone-building effects of dairy products is in question.

Three factors are known to determine strong bones:

1. Genetics
2. Physical activity
3. Calcium

Since milk is the #1 source of calcium, notes the Academy, and milk is fortified with vitamin D (a sub-factor in bone health), and milk has other vital nutrients (protein, phosphorous, potassium, vitamin A, and some B vitamins) it must be good for bones. But calcium is only one of the key factors so drinking milk cannot ensure bone health.

Potassium is needed to balance sodium intake. Too much sodium and too little potassium in tandem is a high blood pressure risk factor. Americans are known to ingest too much salt and at the same time don’t ingest enough potassium. So – while milk isn’t the only way to get potassium (many fruits and vegetables have it too) but Americans are not generally in the habit of consuming more fruits and vegetables than they need.

What about the idea that milk can keep children thin?

Hmmmm. This is still up in the air – especially for children.

There are studies that have shown that for more dairy foods consumed, less body fat is put on over time. However, just recently, a Harvard study showed that young children consuming in excess of 3 servings of milk per day actually gained more weight over a period of one year (regardless of whether the milk consumed was whole or low-fat) than young children drinking less milk. Harvard wisdom promotes keeping a reasonable perspective of milk consumption. It is healthy, but it also pushes caloric count pretty high, pretty quickly. So for overweight children, water should be consumed after the minimum per day servings of milk are met.

So you can have too much of a good thing. In addition to the calories, milk is very filling. Children will be full and won’t ingest the other foods containing nutrients that milk cannot provide.

Doesn’t it sound like it is all about balance? Keeping children’s nutrition intake balanced with a variety of foods that give them the broad range of nutrients that their bodies require for growth and good health. Yes.
That sounds great but what if a child just doesn’t like milk?

Unfortunately, there are few foods that come packaged like milk – with the calcium and a host of similar nutrients – but there are other ways to get calcium. Of course, there are other dairy choices. But don’t forget fortified orange juice, fortified tofu, white beans, and broccoli. Even some cereals and cereal bars are fortified with calcium. Before abandoning milk (for the child who just doesn’t care for the taste), try offering flavored varieties. The extra bit of sugar is worth the gain in getting the bundle of calcium and nutrients.

What about lactose intolerance?

Well, this just isn’t easy. It is critical for folks with this problem to get calcium from other sources: leafy green vegetables such as collards, spinach and bok choy, beans, and calcium-fortified orange juice or soy milk, vegetables and of course, lactose-free dairy and to ingest enough potassium to meet daily requirements which can be found in tomatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, bananas, oranges and other fruits and vegetables.

Why all the questions?

Nutritionists look to “the” food pyramid – the official one from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – for their dietary advice. This pyramid is developed by incorporating the recommendations of the top ranking nutrition scientists across the U.S. But there are other groups of nutritionists who disagree with the official USDA food pyramid and have come up with their own. Harvard is one of the institutions that has engineered an alternative pyramid. And just guess what one of the major points of disagreement is? Yes – milk and dairy recommendations.

The USDA’s argument: As we noted earlier, the USDA increased their recommendations for milk intake from 2 to 3 per day (that was in 2005). In 2010, that recommendation was reiterated. And they added that Americans should consume even more fat-free or low-fat milk and related dairy products.

The USDA believes that people who don’t drink milk tend to be deficient in the nutrients provided by milk. They just aren’t getting that package anywhere else.

Harvard’s argument: On the other hand, Harvard’s research doesn’t support milk as an essential part of a healthy diet. In fact, they note that it may be a risky choice. In fact, it says the USDA’s milk recommendations are leading people in the wrong direction.

The USDA argues that drinking milk reduces bone fractures, but experts at Harvard note that there is very little evidence that consuming milk can even be associated with a reduction in bone fractures. In many Asian countries where almost no milk is ingested, the rate of bone fractures is low.

And as far as the need for potassium goes, the USDA’s recommendations are excessive for what is necessary to prevent hypertension and impact blood pressure levels. And what’s more, it would be much more effective to advise people to consume less salt.

Caloric Impact?

Milk – when you consider it among beverages – is relatively high in calories. 1 cup 2% milk = 138 calories. So drinking 3 cups per day = 366 calories added to the daily diet (Wow!)

Further expert summation shares that there is a body of data showing a higher risk of fatal prostate cancer associated with milk and (even with some mixed results) a slightly higher risk of ovarian cancer associated with drinking three or more servings of milk.

So is there anything that the groups agree on?

A cup or two of milk (or the equivalent dairy sub) is fine.

It isn’t that the Harvard belief is to eliminate dairy. It is, however, their mission for people to understand that they don’t have to consume milk to be healthy. And the USDA? They promote milk as a critical component of a healthy diet.
At least they agree that 1 glass of milk per day isn’t going to hurt you!