Milk consumption linked to 'superior' overall nutrient intakes in kids

Washington, April 2 : A new study has shown that children who drink milk, either plain or flavoured, are more likely to have "superior" overall nutrient intakes compared with children who don't drink milk.

Researchers at Environ International Corp., the University of Vermont and the National Dairy Council, showed that consumption of either flavoured or plain milk is linked to a positive influence on nutrient intakes by children and adolescents and is not associated with adverse effects on BMI measures.

The study, funded by the National Dairy Council, compared nutrient intakes and body measures among 7,557 children and teens drinking flavoured milk (with or without plain milk), exclusively plain milk and no milk.

Those who included flavoured milk in their diets reported higher total milk intakes than consumers of exclusively plain milk while BMI measures of milk drinkers were comparable to or lower than measures of non-drinkers.

Access to low-fat or non-fat flavoured milk could help children and adolescents meet the recommended intakes of dairy servings, according to the researchers.

"Only about one-third to one-half of American children and adolescent boys consume the number of dairy servings recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and fewer than one in five adolescent girls meet the recommendation," the authors said.

"Findings from this study suggest that consumption of either flavored or plain milk is associated with a positive influence on nutrient intakes by children and adolescents and is not associated with adverse effects on BMI measures," they concluded.

The study appears in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

ANI