Research and education key to helping consumers choose dairy

Dairy matrix science fosters understanding of health, nutritional benefits.

Photo courtesy of JulijaDmitrijeva / iStock / Getty Images Plus

There’s a saying that there’s nothing permanent but change, and when it comes to science, that’s really true. At National Dairy Council, research and education are our responsibility (and our passion!). Our team is driven to discover more nutritional and health benefits of milk and dairy foods and educating medical and health professionals and consumers about them. That science and education are key to informing nutrition guidance, dietary recommendations, inspiring people to choose dairy and ultimately, improving the health of Americans.

The good news is that emerging science is revealing new and exciting ways that dairy foods — milk, cheese and yogurt — are contributing to functional wellness benefits that are top of mind for consumers.

One of these emerging areas of science is the food matrix — the concept that food is much more than its individual nutrients listed on a food label. The food matrix considers the nutritional benefits along with physical and chemical properties all together. It’s like moving from a low-resolution, black-and-white photo to a high-resolution, color photo — you get a much richer picture, revealing many more important details.

Consider these facts on some of the most prevalent diet-related conditions in the U.S. and around the world — heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes:

High blood pressure is one of the greatest threats to overall heart health and half of adults in the U.S., approximately 120 million people, are living with high blood pressure, according to the CDC;
Nearly 38 million American adults have type 2 diabetes and nearly 100 million have pre-diabetes according to the CDC National Diabetes Statistics Report; and
Among youth, type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest growing diet-related conditions, disproportionately impacting Asian, Black and Hispanic children according to the CDC National Diabetes Statistics Report.

The dairy matrix science helps to explain why, for example, that the unique fats in dairy foods behave differently than fats in other foods, resulting in neutral to beneficial links to reducing risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

This is a significant example of the great potential for the dairy matrix science to unlock valuable solutions for a healthier future and provides even more reasons to keep dairy top of mind when it comes to reaping these wellness benefits.

Dairy foods offer a unique combination of essential nutrients that are difficult to find in other foods in terms of essential nutrients per serving, per sip or per dollar spent. Not to mention that dairy foods are delicious and bring enjoyment to our lives. As the dairy matrix science grows, so too will the wellness benefits of dairy foods, and those are discoveries we can all look forward to.

Check out USDairy.com for more information.

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Katie Brown, EdD, RDN is President of the National Dairy Council (NDC), a non-profit dairy nutrition research and education organization founded by U.S. dairy farmers with a vision of a healthy, sustainable world with science as its foundation. In this role, Dr. Brown sets the strategic direction for NDC's talented Scientific, Regulatory, and Nutrition Affairs team and serves as a subject matter expert and spokesperson on dairy's wellness benefits and the responsible production practices of innovative dairy farmers as contributive to nutrition security, equitable food systems and a healthy population. An experienced leader, nutrition practitioner, academic, and entrepreneur, Brown is skilled at fostering relationships and programs that advance public health and community wellness. She has authored numerous papers published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented at more than 140 national and international professional conferences.