News

Almost One Third of Irish Adults Fail to Meet Government Dietary Recommendations on Dairy

(24th June 2008) According to TNS mrbi research nearly one third of Irish adults (29%) do not consume the basic “three servings of dairy a day” recommended by the Irish Department of Health & Children.

As dairy products provide a high proportion of calcium and essential nutrients, these findings suggest a large number of Irish adults may be at risk of reducing their general well being in the short term - and exposing themselves to serious long term health risks.

In contrast, results from the Slan report 2007, show that 86% of Irish adults do manage to consume at least 3 daily servings per day of food from the top shelf of the food pyramid which includes cakes, biscuits and confectionery.  These foods should be “difficult to reach” - to be consumed sparingly – because they are typically high in sugar, salt and fats.

To combat this gap in dairy consumption, the National Dairy Council is investing in a 15 week national advertising campaign from early July to raise awareness about the importance of milk and dairy products as a natural source of calcium and essential nutrients.

According to nutritionists, calcium is vital for our bones and teeth. Bone is a living tissue which is constantly renewed and so we need a constant supply of nutrients - at every age.  Higher levels are needed for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and during our formative years, with 90% of adult bone mass laid down by the late teens. Dietary calcium helps to prevent dissolution of tooth enamel. In addition to calcium, dairy foods are also important sources of other important nutrients including protein, B vitamins (riboflavin, vitamin B12 and folate) and phosphorous.

The daily guidelines from the Department of Health & Children for dairy are set at a level to assist adults to achieve the recommended intake of calcium and other essential nutrients which our bodies need. The daily recommendation of “three dairy a day” for adults can be easily achieved from selecting a total of 3 servings, from:  1 oz or 28 g of hard cheese (about the size of a matchbox); one serving of ⅓ pint of milk; or one carton of yoghurt.

“Most Irish adults have seen the food pyramid, they understand the concept and they know in theory the importance of having a balanced diet,” says Helen Brophy, Chief Executive of the National Dairy Council, who commissioned the TNS mrbi research in April this year. "But many do not see the information as being relevant to themselves".

“Calcium is available in other non-dairy food sources, but consumers have to know how to assess these alternatives both in terms of calcium content and ‘bioavailability’“, says Helen Brophy. “In other words, some plant sources may have calcium -  but they also have levels of oxalate and phytate which inhibit the absorption of calcium. This makes it very difficult to meet daily calcium requirements exclusively, from these plant foods alone.“

By way of example, an American study showed that about 16 portions of spinach would be required to achieve the same amount of absorbable calcium as a 240g serving of milk.

The TNS mrbi research confirms that the majority of adults believe milk is a refreshing (83%) and nurturing (81%) drink. It is also easy to see why milk and dairy products are seen as the easiest and most natural source of calcium.

Speaking in response to the announcement by the NDC, Mary Wallace TD, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with responsibility for Health Promotion & Food Safety said she was happy to support the forthcoming campaign.

"I am happy to endorse the NDC's activities today. Milk and other dairy products should form part of a healthy diet, as recommended in my Department's Food Pyramid and the recent "Little steps for healthy living" campaign which I launched last week on behalf of the HSE, safefood and the Health Promotion Agency (NI)."

- ENDS -
Date: 24th June, 2008
Issued by: Antonina Ni Dhuinn, Progress Communications, 01-2766117, nina@progresspr.ie

Sources of information:

• TNS mrbi Research April 2008
• Slan – Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes & Nutrtition 2007
• Role Dairy Foods in Health – a report by the National Dairy Council in association with the IUNA (Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance
• Kearney JM, Gibney MJ, Livingstone MBE, Robson PJ, Kiely M, Harrington KE: 2001 Attitudes Towards and Beliefs About Nutrition and Milk Among a Random Sample of Adults in the Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland. Public Health Nutrition 4 (SA) 1117-1126
• Kearney JM, McElhone S. Perceived barriers in trying to eat healthier – results of a pan European consumer attitudinal survey. Br J Nutr 1999 Apr; 81 (2 Suppl): 133S-7S
• Department of Health & Children, Health Promotion Unit
• Paper by Weaver CM, Proulx WR and Heaney R: Choices for Achieving Adequate Dietary Calcium with a Vegetarian Diet 1-3 AM J Clin Nutr 1999;70 (suppl): 543S-8S