A growing body of research supports the role of gut health in overall health and wellbeing. Some fermented foods contain probiotics; active bacterial cultures with unique characteristics that allow them to survive in the gastrointestinal tract. When consumed in adequate amounts, they provide a health benefit and have the potential to maintain the natural balance of the gut microbiota.
Fermented dairy products such as yoghurt, culture drinks and kefir are some of the most common and easily available sources of probiotics. These products are an ideal vehicle for probiotics as the composition of milk which includes carbohydrate, protein and fat acts as a protective matrix to help the survival of probiotics from the digestive system through to the gut, including helping them survive the adverse conditions of the stomach.
Read more about dairy products and digestive health. Bones are living tissue, constantly in a state of renewal, so building and maintaining bones from childhood through to elderly age is important. The key ingredients for strong bones for life include weight bearing exercise, calcium-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, as well as vitamin D from safe sun exposure.
Not looking after bones can increase the risk of osteoporosis, a disease where bones become brittle and are at high risk of fracture. In Australia, osteoporosis affects one in two women and one in three men over the age of Bone health is determined by both genetics and lifestyle factors, and adopting a bone-friendly lifestyle at any age can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Read more about how to build and maintain bones throughout your lifestages. Milk also provides essential nutrients for growth and development and helps protect teeth against dental caries. Bones develop quickly in teenage years, with per cent of peak bone mineral content being laid down in adolescence and per cent of the skeleton being formed by the age of 18 years.
A good diet in teenage years can increase bone mineral density which promotes healthy bones later in adult life, helping to prevent conditions like osteoporosis. The amount of mineral in our bones bone density continues to rise until our mid-thirties but then this reverses and we slowly lose bone density.
Milk contributes 19 per cent of calcium intake in the diets of UK adults. Women over the age of 50 are at higher risk of developing bone diseases. During the menopause, women can lose bone stores of calcium which is a risk factor for fractures.
In postmenopausal women and older people, several studies have shown that increasing milk slows the rate of bone loss. As we age, milk and other dairy foods add nutritional value to our diets. Their soft, smooth texture makes them suitable for older adults with dental or swallowing issues. Symptoms typically begin in the first few months of life and can include immediate breathing and swelling symptoms through to skin rashes and eczema, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Most children outgrow milk allergy by five years of age.
Promoting and influencing healthy food choices for children. Corny jokes for kids! Dairy The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend eating dairy foods every day. Why do kids need dairy? Why do we need calcium? How many serves of dairy do children need to eat every day? What is a serve? One ml glass of fresh, UHT long life, or powdered milk One g tub of plain or flavoured yoghurt Two slices 40g of cheese Half a cup g of ricotta cheese Half a cup mL evaporated milk Guidelines The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating suggests only eating serves of full-fat cheese each week, as while it does provide lots of calcium and protein, it also contains a lot of saturated fat and salt, so serves should be limited.
Calcium and vitamin D are important during all stages of life. Calcium is required to keep bones strong and vitamin D is necessary for our body to absorb calcium. So adequate dairy intake is important for active young athletes. Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese are the richest sources of calcium.
Boys and girls ages 4 to 8 need 2. Meeting this goal should not be hard given that there are many forms of dairy. One of the key recommendations in the new dietary guidelines is to include fat-free or low-fat dairy.
0コメント