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World Milk Day 2008

The National Dairy Council reveals some fun facts and some interesting ways to enjoy milk!

(Friday 30th May  2008) This year’s World Milk Day falls on Sunday 1st June. Why not celebrate World Milk Day by learning some fun and inventive ways of adding some more dairy to your diet?

The National Dairy Council supporting World Milk Day have come up with an array of interesting facts about milk and dairy products that most people would not necessarily have known about.

“There are many misconceptions about milk and many people are unaware of the benefits of incorporating it into a balanced diet. Milk is not only a healthy option it is also a tasty and versatile drink. There are many ways in which it can be made fun for both adults and children especially for summer” commented Dr. Catherine Logan, nutritionist for the National Dairy Council.

Did you know?

Milk is well-recognised for its calcium content.  Other foods are often thought to be high in calcium but when you think about the amount of these foods needed to be consumed to achieve a similar calcium intake as that from just one glass of milk you will think again!!  In order to obtain the same amount of calcium from 240ml of milk, you must eat 4½ servings of broccoli, 16 servings of spinach, 9½ servings of rhubarb or 4 servings of beans (white).

One glass of milk (200ml) provides 30% of the recommended daily allowance of calcium for adults, it is also a great source of protein with 20% of calories in milk coming from protein.

Milk is an extremely versatile food; just think of all the ways it can be enjoyed- glass of ice cold milk on those warm summer days, a delicious smoothie, over a cereal, an awakening cappuccino/ latte or a warming milky hot chocolate.

Even in ancient times, the beautifying effects of milk were appreciated.  It has being said that legendary Egyptian beauty Cleopatra bathed in milk.  In today’s modern world, miracle moisturising and firming creams boast of active ingredients which are also found in milk including natural CLA, vitamin A and E and an array of minerals.  Or simpler and cheaper still, drinking milk can also be beneficial as milk is recognised as one of the most nutrient rich foods available.

Common myths & misconceptions:

1. Contrary to popular belief the minority of Irish people who suffer from lactose intolerance do not have to avoid all milk products.  Hard cheeses are usually well tolerated due to their low lactose content.  Also, fermented dairy products such as yogurts rarely cause symptoms; this is thought to be due to the bacterial action during yogurt making.
2. Milk is not as fattening as people think.  The average fat content of whole milk is just 3.9%, semi-skimmed milk has a fat content between 1.5-1.8% and skimmed milk below 0.5%.  Irish research shows that women who drink milk (~2/3 pint per day) have similar body mass index and waist circumference measurements to those women who drink very little (~76ml per day).
3. Many people believe that calcium is destroyed during cooking, this is not the case.  Calcium is a heat stable mineral and therefore cooking with milk can contribute to a calcium rich meal.

Editors Notes

Established in 1964, the mission of the National Dairy Council (NDC) is to support Irish dairy farmers by driving the positive position and consumption of milk and dairy products through integrated marketing and communications programmes based on informed scientific evidence.

Ends

For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:

Joanne Coffey
Keating & Associates
Tel: 01 6620 345

Catherine Logan
National Dairy Council
Tel: 01 616 9726