Measures and metrics of sustainable diets with a focus on milk, yogurt, and dairy products

Review: The need for holistic, sector-tailored sustainability assessments for milk- and plant-based beverages

Sustainable food systems encompass nutrition, the environment and socioeconomics, each aspect requiring unique assessment and consideration. This is especially important in the dairy industry, since livestock contributes 14.5% of global greenhouse emissions while also contributing 49% to global calcium supply and 12% to global protein supply. This necessitates strict measurement to ensure science-based decision-making while producing sustainably, ensuring adequate nutrient supply. This review aimed to identify and evaluate existing measures of sustainability with the goal to generate recommendations for future sustainability measurements. From a nutritional perspective, it identified existing measures such as nutritional life-cycle analysis, hybrid nutrient-rich food index, nutrient-rich food adjusted for adequate intake and nutrient deficiencies, as well as the priority micronutrient density score, as methods which consider broader nutrient profiles and utilise more recent research, and therefore serve as a basis for future models. Major limitations exist in the incorporation of bioavailability or the food matrix effect in such measures, as well as food-group-specific indices. The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology healthy diet score also provides promise in serving as an updated version of current dietary guidelines. Environmentally, the life cycle analysis approach forms a detailed basis for environmental footprint assessment, although the practical application thereof in modern agriculture may be cumbersome and may warrant the use of simpler metrics. However, the complexity of sustainability assessments due to differing production methods and system boundaries makes comparisons difficult, which justifies either standardised or contextualised indices. Lastly, socioeconomics which are often measured only via retail price with a focus on economics also deserves consideration of affordability at consumer and producer level by evaluating the effect of the production system on the local and global economy, producer affordability and the potential to improve livelihoods. In conclusion, a localised and holistic measure of sustainability is warranted which is both sector and context-specific and reported in sufficient detail to prevent the masking of poor results due to single metric expressions.

A qualitative study to explore and identify reasons for dairy consumption and non-consumption among young adults (18-30 years old) in the UK and France

The aim of this study was to explore and identify why young adults aged between 18 and 30 years in the UK and France do or do not consume dairy products. Several studies have associated dairy products with a healthy diet, and the production of soft dairy, i.e. milk, yoghurt, and soft cheese, as more environmentally friendly than some other animal-based products. Yet recent reports highlight that dairy intake is lower than recommended for health, especially among young adults. Using a qualitative methodology, forty-five participants aged 18-30 years (UK: n = 22; France: n = 23) were asked about their reasons for (non)consumption of a wide range of dairy products. Audio-recorded focus groups and individual interviews were conducted in English in the UK and in French in France, transcribed and coded. A thematic analysis found four themes and sixteen sub-themes (theme product-related: sub-themes sensory, non-sensory, composition; theme individual-related: sub-themes mode of consumption, preferences, personal reasons, knowledge, attitudes and concerns, needs or cravings; theme cultural aspects: sub-themes product categorization, social norms, use; theme market offering: sub-themes alternative, packaging, value for money, availability) to influence participants' dairy (non)consumption in both countries. A seventeenth sub-theme (theme cultural aspects: sub-theme structure of the meal) was found to influence dairy consumption only in France. Further studies are needed to investigate these themes within larger samples, but these findings contribute to understanding dairy (non)consumption in young adults in the UK and France and may aid the development of strategies to improve young adults' diets.

From One Heath to One Sustainability: The Role of Contagious Mastitis Pathogens in Decreasing the Dairy Herd Sustainability

Economic, social, and environmental sustainability are the results of efforts aiming to improve all aspects of milk production, respecting animal welfare and improving herd health. An epidemiological study was designed to assess the role of contagious pathogens (S. aureus and S. agalactiae) in a cohort of 120 dairy herds located in the southern regions of Italy. Milk quality was assessed using certified methods, and the prevalence of mastitis pathogens in bulk tank milk was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Welfare scores were assessed using a scoring card that has more than 100 items, including animal-based measurements. Statistical analyses were performed using general lineal model and logistic regression procedures. The results showed that S. aureus had a significant negative effect on the amount of milk nutrients delivered to the dairy plant, and on the level of welfare, whereas the presence of S. agalactiae did not show any significant association. The major risk factors associated with the presence of S. aureus were also identified to help prioritize control programs. These results support the "One Sustainability" approach, implying that an increase in animal productivity is related to the improvement of animal health and welfare and potentially leading to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.

Executive summary: The role of dairy food intake for improving health among Black Americans across the life continuum

Given the complex relationships that many Black individuals have with dairy foods, due to issues with lactose intolerance or other cultural factors, the National Medical Association has made considerable efforts to examine the role that dairy foods play in the health and well-being of Black Americans. Over the last two decades, the National Medical Association and its partners have produced multiple reports on the value of including adequate milk and dairy foods in the diets of Black Americans. These publications have highlighted the impact that inadequate consumption of dairy foods and nutrients have on chronic disease risks. Past publications have also provided evidence-based recommendations for the proper diagnosis and management of lactose intolerance. This new series of evidence reviews focuses on dairy's role in improving nutrition and health among Black Americans across the life course and covers an extensive amount of new research that highlights additional health disparities and provides further evidence-based strategies for the management of lactose intolerance. Much like the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, this work utilizes a life course approach to better address dairy intake on health outcomes for different ages and life stages: 1) pregnancy, fetal development, and lactation, 2) infants, toddlers, and young children, 3) older children and adolescents, 4) adults, and 5) geriatric populations. Overall, the findings and conclusions from this series of evidence reviews continue to indicate that higher dairy intake is associated with reduced risk for many of the most commonly occurring deficiencies and diseases impacting each life stage, and that Black Americans would receive significantly greater health benefits by increasing their daily dairy intake levels to meet the national dietary recommendations than they would from continuing to fall short of these recommendations. However, these recommendations must be considered with appropriate context and nuance as the intake of different dairy products can have different impacts on health outcomes. For instance, vitamin D fortified dairy products and fermented dairy products like yogurt - which are low in lactose and rich in live and active cultures - tend to show the greatest impacts for reducing disease risk across the life continuum, while whole-fat dairy foods may be most beneficial in early life for optimal brain development, and more protein-rich options may be most beneficial in later life to help maintain muscle mass and function.

The role of dairy food intake for improving health among black Americans across the life continuum: A summary of the evidence

Decades of health data show major health disparities occurring at every life stage between Black and White Americans. These disparities include greater mortality rates among Black mothers and their offspring, higher levels of malnutrition and obesity among Black children and adolescents, and a higher burden of chronic disease and lower life expectancy for Black adults. Although nutrition is only one of many factors that influence human health and well-being across the life continuum, a growing body of research continues to demonstrate that consuming a healthy dietary pattern is one of the most dominant factors associated with increased longevity, improved mental health, improved immunity, and decreased risk for obesity and chronic disease. Unfortunately, large percentages of Black Americans tend to consume inadequate amounts of several essential nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium; and simultaneously consume excessive amounts of fast foods and sugar-sweetened beverages to a greater degree than other racial/ethnic groups. Therefore, strategies that can help improve dietary patterns for Black Americans could make up a major public health opportunity for reducing nutrition-related diseases and health disparities across the life course. A key intervention strategy to improve diet quality among Black Americans is to focus on increasing the intake of nutrient-rich dairy foods, which are significantly underconsumed by most Black Americans. Compared to other food group, dairy foods are some of the most accessible and affordable sources of essential nutrients like vitamin A, D, and B12, calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and zinc in the food supply, as well as being some of the primary sources of several health-promoting bioactive compounds, including polar lipids, bioactive proteins and peptides, oligosaccharides, and live and active cultures in fermented products. Given the complex relationships that many Black Americans have with dairy foods, due to issues with lactose intolerance, and/or negative perceptions about the health effects of dairy foods, there is still a need to examine the role that dairy foods play in the health and well-being of Black Americans of all ages and life stages. Therefore, the National Medical Association and its partners have produced multiple reports on the value of including adequate dairy in the diet of Black Americans. This present summary paper and its associated series of evidence reviews provide an examination of an immense amount of research focused on dairy intake and health outcomes, with an emphasis on evidence-based strategies for improving the health of Black Americans. Overall, the findings and conclusions from this body of research continue to indicate that higher dairy intake is associated with reduced risk for many of the most commonly occurring deficiencies and diseases impacting each life stage, and that Black Americans would receive significantly greater health benefits by increasing their daily dairy intake levels to meet the national recommendations than they would from continuing to fall short of these recommendations. However, these recommendations must be considered with appropriate context and nuance as the intake of different dairy products can have different impacts on health outcomes. For instance, vitamin D fortified dairy products and fermented dairy products like yogurt - which are low in lactose and rich in live and active cultures - tend to show the greatest benefits for improved health. Importantly, there are significant limitations to these research findings for Black Americans, especially as they relate to reproductive and child health, since most of the research on dairy intake and health has failed to include adequate representation of Black populations or to sufficiently address the role of dairy intake during the most vulnerable life stages, such as pregancy, lactation, fetal development, early childhood, and older age. This population and these life stages require considerably more research and policy attention if health equity is ever to be achieved for Black Americans. Sharing and applying the learnings from this summary paper and its associated series of evidence reviews will help inform and empower nutrition and health practitioners to provide more evidence-based dietary recommendations for improving the health and well-being of Black Americans across the life course.

Growth in milk consumption and reductions in child stunting: Historical evidence from cross-country panel data

Agricultural and food policies are increasingly being tasked with doing more to improve the nutritional status of low-income populations, especially reductions in child stunting. Which specific food sectors warrant additional policy attention is less clear, although a growing body of research argues that increased animal-sourced food consumption in general, and increased dairy consumption specifically, can significantly reduce the risks of stunting, as well as deficiencies in micronutrients and high quality protein. However, experimental research on dairy's impacts on child growth in developing countries is very limited, and non-experimental evidence is confined to cross-sectional surveys. In this study we adopt a more macro lens by using a cross-country panel to show that increases in milk consumption over time are associated with large reductions in child stunting even after controlling for important confounding factors. Countries with high rates of stunting should therefore consider nutrition-sensitive strategies to increase dairy consumption among young children through both supply- and demand-side interventions.

The Nutrient Rich Food Price Index: a nutrition-relevant adaptation of the Laspeyres price index to track the cost of affordable nutrient density

Background

The Laspeyres price index is the ratio of the current cost of a market basket of commodities or food groups relative to base period prices.

Objective

To develop a nutrition-relevant version of the Laspeyres price index, using market baskets based on tertiles of the nutrient rich food (NRF9.3) nutrient density metric.

Methods

Nutrient composition data for 151 foods from the 2012 Mexico national health and nutrition survey (ENSANUT) were merged with food prices and price indices from the national institute of geography and statistics (INEGI). Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF9.3) was the measure of nutrient density. May 2012 was the base period. Nutrient rich food price index (NRFPI) values were calculated for each tertile of NRF nutrient density scores for each month between June 2011 and March 2022.

Results

The market basket of foods in the top tertile of NRF nutrient density scores cost more per 100 kcal and had higher NRFPI values compared to foods in the bottom tertile. Higher NRF9.3 scores were correlated with greater monthly inflation. The NRFPI for foods in the top tertile of NRF9.3 scores was marked by seasonal price spikes, and greater volatility compared to foods in the bottom tertile.

Conclusion

The present adaptation of the Laspeyres Index used market baskets defined by nutrient density tertiles instead of commodity groups. This approach allows for easier tracking of the cost of nutrient dense foods and healthful diets across geographic regions and over time. Applied to Mexico food prices prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic, the NRFPI was sensitive to time trends, seasonality, and price fluctuations. The new tool may be useful in monitoring the rising cost of healthy foods worldwide.

An Alternative Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF-ai) Incorporating Prevalence of Inadequate and Excessive Nutrient Intake

Most nutrient profiling models give equal weight to nutrients irrespective of their ubiquity in the food system. There is also a degree of arbitrariness about which nutrients are included. In this study, an alternative Nutrient Rich Food index was developed (NRF-ai, where ai denotes adequate intake) incorporating prevalence of inadequate and excessive nutrient intake among Australian adults. Weighting factors for individual nutrients were based on a distance-to-target method using data from the Australian Health Survey describing the proportion of the population with usual intake less than the Estimated Average Requirement defined by the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. All nutrients for which data were available were included, avoiding judgements about which nutrients to include, although some nutrients received little weight. Separate models were developed for females and males and for selected age groups, reflecting differences in nutrient requirements and usual intake. Application of the new nutrient profiling models is demonstrated for selected dairy products and alternatives, protein-rich foods, and discretionary foods. This approach emphasises the need to identify foods that are rich in those specific nutrients for which intake is below recommended levels and can be used to address specific nutrient gaps in subgroups such as older adults. In addition, the new nutrient profiling model is used to explore other sustainability aspects, including affordability (NRF-ai per AUD) and ecoefficiency (NRF-ai/environmental impact score).

Dairy matrix: is the whole greater than the sum of the parts?

Dairy foods are a heterogeneous group of products that vary in physical state and structure; profile and amounts of essential nutrients, bioactive ingredients, and other constituents; the extent of alteration of these constituents by processing, whether they are fermented or aged; and addition of constituents during manufacture. The complexity of the dairy matrix is associated with a heterogeneous impact on health outcomes from increased, decreased, or neutral effects for specific dairy products and specific health outcomes. Researchers must become more nuanced and systematic in their study of the role of dairy products in health to develop meaningful dietary recommendations. This review of the evidence for the dairy matrix and health points out the dearth of randomized controlled trials and of mechanistic insights. The variable effects of dairy-product consumption on health suggest possibilities for personalized nutrition advice.

Food Systems Transformation for Child Health and Well-Being: The Essential Role of Dairy

Malnutrition, in all its forms, during the critical stages of child growth and development can have lifelong impacts on health and well-being. While most forms of malnutrition can be prevented with simple dietary interventions, both undernutrition and overnutrition remain persistent and burdensome challenges for large portions of the global population, especially for young children who are dependent on others for nourishment. In addition to dietary factors, children's health also faces the growing challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, pollution, and infectious disease. Food production and consumption practices both sit at the nexus of these issues, and both must be significantly transformed if we are to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Food sources (i.e., animal-source foods vs. plant-source foods), food production practices, the effects of food processing, the impacts of a more globalized food system, and food loss and waste have all been receiving growing attention in health and sustainability research and policy discussions. Much of this work points to recommendations to reduce resource-intensive animal-source foods, heavily processed foods, and foods associated with excessive waste and pollution, while simultaneously increasing plant-source options. However, some of these recommendations require a little more nuance when considered in the context of issues such as global child health. All types of foods can play significant roles in providing essential nutrition for children across the globe, and for improving the well-being and livelihoods of their families and communities. Dairy foods provide a prime example of this need for nuance, as both dairy production practices and consumption patterns vary greatly throughout the world, as do their impacts on child health and food system sustainability. The objective of this narrative review is to highlight the role of dairy in supporting child health in the context of food system sustainability. When considering child health within this context it is recommended to take a holistic approach that considers all four domains of sustainability (health, economics, society, and the environment) to better weigh trade-offs, optimize outcomes, and avoid unintended consequences. To ensure that children have access to nutritious and safe foods within sustainable food systems, special consideration of their needs must be included within the broader food systems transformation narrative.

[Role of dairy and alternative plant products in a healthy and sustainable diet]

Dairy products and plant alternatives are two food groups that are part of the Spanish population's diet. Both have a very different nutritional composition - unlike plant products, the high nutritional density of dairy products makes it easier to meet nutrient requirements at different stages of life. Although the environmental impact of dairy production is greater than that of plant-based products, it falls below that of other food groups such as red meat, including pork and beef. Dairy and plant alternatives meet critical points of the sustainable diet definition, and several food guides from countries around the world are including them within healthy and sustainable eating patterns. For this reason, it is necessary to clarify that both products can be part of a healthy and sustainable diet, although they belong to different food groups, which are not interchangeable and should not be used alternatively.

Global Review of Dairy Recommendations in Food-Based Dietary Guidelines

At present, there are ~100 countries with national food-based dietary guidelines. While the intent of these guidelines is to inform national-level dietary recommendations, they also tie into global health and sustainable development initiatives, since diet and nutrition are linked to outcomes for all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, key messaging in food-based dietary guidelines plays an important role in both national and global health efforts. However, this type of national-level dietary guidance is not standardized and varies considerably from country to country, and from food group to food group. The main objective of this review is to provide a novel look at dairy food group messaging within global food-based dietary guidelines, focusing specifically on nutrient-based and health-based messaging. Dairy-based messaging from 94 national food-based dietary guidelines was reviewed and grouped by region, with an emphasis on messaging regarding dairy's contribution to nutrients of public health concern for both underconsumption and overconsumption. The results showed that most nutrient-based dairy messaging relating to underconsumption was focused on calcium, followed by vitamin D, iodine, potassium, and protein; whereas messaging related to overconsumption was focused on saturated fat, added sugars, and salt. Health-based messaging specific to dairy food intake typically coalesced around three types of health outcomes: (1) bone, teeth, and muscle, (2) cardiometabolic, and (3) gut and immune. Although a fundamental concept of food-based dietary guidelines is to provide dietary guidance in a manner that is both “food-based,” and in the context of “dietary” patterns, most food-based dietary guidelines still express the health value of dairy foods (and potentially other foods groups) solely in terms of their nutrient content – and often times only in the context of a single nutrient (e.g., calcium).

Lifetime climate impacts of diet transitions: a novel climate change accounting perspective

Dietary transitions, such as eliminating meat consumption, have been proposed as one way to reduce the climate impact of the global and regional food systems. However, it should be ensured that replacement diets are indeed nutritious and that climate benefits are accurately accounted for. This study uses New Zealand food consumption as a case study for exploring the cumulative climate impact of adopting the national dietary guidelines and the substitution of meat from hypothetical diets. The new GWP* metric is used as it was designed to better reflect the climate impacts of the release of methane than the de facto standard 100-year Global Warming Potential metric (GWP100). A transition at age 25 to the hypothetical dietary guideline diet reduces cumulative warming associated with diet by 7 to 9% at the 100th year compared with consuming the average New Zealand diet. The reduction in diet-related cumulative warming from the transition to a hypothetical meat-substituted diet varied between 12 and 15%. This is equivalent to reducing an average individual's lifetime warming contribution by 2 to 4%. General improvements are achieved for nutrient intakes by adopting the dietary guidelines compared with the average New Zealand diet; however, the substitution of meat items results in characteristic nutrient differences, and these differences must be considered alongside changes in emission profiles.

Replacing the nutrients in dairy foods with non-dairy foods will increase cost, energy intake and require large amounts of food: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014

Objective:

The US Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends increased consumption of the dairy group to three daily servings for ages 9+ years to help achieve adequate intakes of prominent shortfall nutrients. Identifying affordable, consumer-acceptable foods to replace dairy’s shortfall nutrients is important especially for people who avoid dairy.

Design:

Linear programming identified food combinations to replace dairy’s protein and shortfall nutrients. We examined cost, energy and dietary implications of replacing dairy with food combinations optimised for lowest cost, fewest kJ or the smallest amount of food by weight.

Setting:

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011–2014).

Participants:

Nationally representative sample of US population; 2 years and older (n 15 830).

Results:

Phase 1 (only dairy foods excluded): when optimised for lowest cost or fewest kJ, all non-dairy food replacements required large amounts (2·5–10 cups) of bottled/tap water. Phase 2 (dairy and unreasonable non-dairy foods excluded (e.g. baby foods; tap/bottled water): when intake of non-dairy foods was constrained to <90th percentile of current intake, the lowest cost food combination replacements for dairy cost 0·5 times more and provide 5·7 times more energy; the lowest energy food combinations cost 5·9 times more, provide 2·5 times more energy and require twice the amount of food by weight; and food combinations providing the smallest amount of food by weight cost 3·5 times more and provide five times more energy than dairy.

Conclusions:

Identifying affordable, consumer-acceptable foods that can replace dairy’s shortfall nutrients at both current and recommended dairy intakes remains a challenge.

Toward Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems

This article is based on a session at ASN 2019 entitled "Addressing the Four Domains of Sustainable Food Systems Science (Health, Economics, Society and the Environment): What Will It Take to Harmonize the Evidence to Advance the Field?" A summary of presentations is included. The presentations addressed the 4 principal domains of sustainability defined as nutrition/health, economics, environment, and society and the ways in which they are represented in current research. The session also introduced metrics and measures that are specific to each domain. Participants discussed next steps to move toward consensus and collaboration among scientific communities, especially those of health/nutrition science and environmental science. Food systems may need to be restructured to ensure that the global food supply provides adequate calories and nutrients at an affordable cost. Finally, the session addressed strategies to implement research concepts and move toward policies that encourage consumers to choose healthy diets from sustainable food systems.

Proceedings of a Workshop on Characterizing and Defining the Social and Economic Domains of Sustainable Diets

Global challenges associated with a growing demand for food in the face of finite natural resources and climate change have prompted concerns about the sustainability of our current food systems. As formulated by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the four principal domains of sustainable diets are health, economics, society, and the environment. While emphasizing the environmental cost and health impacts of current diets, the research literature has virtually ignored the vital economic and social aspects of sustainability. Without these components, critical inputs for decision-making about global challenges related to climate change and a growing demand for food are missing. National Dairy Council convened experts in sociology, economics, human nutrition, food systems science, food security, environmental health, and sustainable agriculture for a one-day workshop to define the social and economic domains of sustainability in service of better characterizing food-based dietary guidance that is both healthy and sustainable. The consensus recommendations were to (1) select social and economic indicators to complement the existing environmental and health ones, (2) better define appropriate concepts, terms, and measures to foster discussion across scientific disciplines, (3) reframe the focus on sustainable diets towards the goal of “achieving healthy dietary patterns from sustainable food systems”, and (4) complement the four domains, and incorporate the notions of geography, time, and cross-cutting considerations into sustainability frameworks. This publication summarizes the presentations, discussions, and findings from the 2019 workshop, and aims to catalyze further action to advance sustainability research and practice in the context of food-based dietary guidance and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The role of dairy foods in lower greenhouse gas emission and higher diet quality dietary patterns

PURPOSE

There is conflicting advice about the inclusion of dairy foods in a lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emission dietary pattern. Our purpose was to assess the prevalence of dairy food intake among higher diet quality and lower GHG emission diets in Australia and within these diets assess the association between level of dairy food intake and adequate intake of a broad range of nutrients.

METHODS

Dietary intake data collected using a 24-h recall process were sourced from the most recent Australian Health Survey. Diet quality was assessed by level of compliance with the food group-based Australian Dietary Guidelines. A subgroup of 1732 adult (19 years and above) daily diets was identified having higher diet quality score and lower GHG emissions (HQLE). Intake of core dairy foods (milk, cheese, yoghurt) was assessed and nutrient profiling was undertaken for 42 macro- and micronutrients.

RESULTS

The HQLE subgroup had 37% higher diet quality score and 43% lower GHG emissions than the average Australian adult diet (P < 0.05). Intake of dairy foods was very common (90% of HQLE diets) and greatly exceeded the intake of non-dairy alternatives (1.53 serves compared to 0.04 serves). HQLE daily diets in the highest tertile of dairy food intake were more likely to achieve the recommended intake of a wide range of nutrients, including calcium, protein, riboflavin, vitamin B12, folate, phosphorous, magnesium, iodine and potassium compared to other HQLE daily diets.

CONCLUSION

Core dairy foods have an important role for achieving adequate nutrient intakes in a healthy and lower GHG emission dietary pattern in Australia.

Nutrient-rich, high-quality, protein-containing dairy foods in combination with exercise in aging persons to mitigate sarcopenia

Sarcopenic declines in muscle mass and function contribute to the risk of falls, reduced mobility, and progression to frailty in older persons. Mitigation of sarcopenia can be achieved by consumption of higher quality protein in sufficient quantities, which current research suggests are greater than the recommended intakes of approximately 0.8 g/kg bodyweight/d. In addition, higher levels of physical activity and participation in exercise to support cardiovascular fitness and musculoskeletal function work additively with protein in attenuating sarcopenia. This narrative review provides evidence to support a recommendation for per-meal protein targets in older persons that are underpinned by knowledge of muscle protein turnover. Based on work examining acute dose-responses of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) to protein, a proposed per-meal target for protein intakes is set at approximately 0.4-0.6 g protein/kg bodyweight/meal for older persons. Habitual patterns of dietary protein intake tend to emphasize a skewed protein distribution, which would not maximize muscle anabolism. Observational studies show that more even patterns of protein intake are associated with increased muscle mass and improved muscle function. A food-based approach to achieving these protein targets would be advantageous, and the nutrient density of the protein-containing foods would be particularly important for older persons. Dairy foods provide high-quality protein and contain several nutrients of concern for older persons. This brief review provides an overview of the science underpinning why dairy foods should be a point of nutritional emphasis for older persons. Practical suggestions are provided for implementation of dairy foods into dietary patterns to meet the protein and other nutrient targets for older persons.

Creating Sustainable Meals Supported by the NAHGAST Online Tool—Approach and Effects on GHG Emissions and Use of Natural Resources

Every diet has an impact on an individual’s health status, the environment, as well as on social concerns. A growing number of meals are consumed in the out-of-home catering sector, in which a systematic sustainability assessment is not part of common practice. In order to close this gap, an instrument was developed as part of the NAHGAST project. After more than one year of using the NAHGAST online tool, it needs to be assessed what positive environmental influences can be realized by using the tool. For this reason, this article deals with the question of whether an online tool can enable stakeholders from the out-of-home consumption sector to revise their meals with regard to aspects of a sustainable diet. In addition, it will be answered how precise recipe revisions of the most popular lunchtime meals influence the material footprint as well as the carbon footprint. In conclusion, an online tool can illustrate individual sustainability paths for stakeholders in the out-of-home consumption sector and enables an independent recipe revision for already existing meals. The results show that even slight changes in recipes could lead to savings of up to a third in carbon footprint as well as in material footprint. In relation to the out-of-home consumption sector, this results in the potential for substantial multiplication effects that will pave the way for the dissemination of sustainable nutrition.

Consumption of Greek yogurt during 12 weeks of high-impact loading exercise increases bone formation in young, adult males – a secondary analysis from a randomized trial

Exercise combined with protein and calcium has been shown to benefit bone turnover and bone metabolism. Greek yogurt (GY) contains important nutrients that support bone but has yet to be studied with exercise for this purpose. Thirty untrained, university-aged, males were randomized to 2 groups (n = 15/group): GY (20 g protein, 208 mg calcium/dose) or placebo pudding (PP; 0 g protein, 0 g calcium/dose) consumed 3×/day on training days and 2×/day on nontraining days. Both groups underwent a resistance/plyometric training program for 12 weeks. Blood was obtained at weeks 0, 1, and 12 to measure procollagen-type-I-N-terminal-propeptide (P1NP) and C-terminal-telopeptide (CTX). After outlier treatment, P1NP increased more over time in GY versus PP (p = 0.002; interaction). Both groups decreased CTX over time (p = 0.046; time effect). Following 1 week of training, there was a trend towards a significant increase in CTX in PP with no change in GY (p = 0.062; interaction). P1NP changed more in GY than PP (baseline to week 12; p = 0.029) as did the P1NP/CTX ratio (p = 0.015) indicating a greater increase in formation with GY. Thus, GY added to a high-load, high-impact exercise program positively shifted bone turnover towards increased formation while attenuating resorption. GY could be a plausible postexercise food to support bone health in young adult males.

Novelty Greek yogurt, with exercise, increased bone formation in young adult males over 12 weeks. After 1 week of an osteogenic exercise program, Greek yogurt tended to blunt a rise in bone resorption seen with the placebo. Greek yogurt is a plausible postexercise food that supports bone.

The role of yogurt in food-based dietary guidelines

In the modern food technology era, one of the aims of food safety and quality is to eliminate or reduce the number of microorganisms in food. This may now be changing. In particular, the importance of live microorganisms as beneficial food constituents is now being recognized. Microorganisms present in food that contribute to the human diet include not only viable bacteria but also metabolites and bioactive components. Yogurt is one of the most biologically active foods consumed by humans. It is an excellent source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Additionally, the nutritional value is especially high relative to cost. Potential nutritional benefits are also associated with the ingestion of the bacteria that are ordinarily present at the time of consumption. Thus, yogurt serves as a major source of live bacteria in the human diet, as well as a delivery vehicle for added probiotic bacteria. Yogurt may provide a simple and affordable solution for enhancing the nutritional value of the diet, including the intake of live bacteria and their metabolites. A further benefit may be obtained when yogurt is used as a carrier for specific probiotic bacteria and/or prebiotic compounds. These factors suggest that yogurt could have a more visible role in food-based dietary guidelines.

Elevating dairy research and extension through partnership: Outcomes from the United States Department of Agriculture and National Dairy Council collaborative meeting to develop a coordination roadmap

Dairy foods provide a significant portion of the recommended daily nutrition for much of the US population. Improving the availability of safe and nutritious dairy products and decreasing the environmental impact of the dairy community continue to be high priorities for both industry and the public sector. In recognition of these shared priorities, scientists and other specialists from the USDA, National Dairy Council, industry, academia, and nongovernmental organizations participated in the "Elevating Dairy Research and Extension Through Partnership" meeting on June 19, 2018. The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen partnerships and identify dairy-related research and extension needs in human nutrition, environmental sustainability, food safety, and product innovation that would benefit from enhanced coordination and collaboration across the dairy community, academia, and government. To catalyze further progress on these topics, the meeting organizers agreed to leverage the content and expertise that emerged from the meeting to develop a dairy research and extension coordination roadmap. The roadmap will establish and articulate a vision for coordinated collaboration between USDA researchers, the National Dairy Council, university researchers, extension specialists, and other dairy community stakeholders in the private and public sectors. This article represents the proceedings of the meeting and is intended to broadly communicate the dairy research and extension discussion and next steps to the dairy research and extension communities and other stakeholders in industry, academic, and government sectors.

The effect of high compared with low dairy consumption on glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic flexibility in overweight adults: a randomized crossover trial

BACKGROUND

Dairy products contain many nutritious components that may benefit metabolic health. There are indications that glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, which are generally disturbed in overweight and obese individuals, may improve by increased dairy intake. This may also affect one's metabolic flexibility.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of high compared with low dairy intake on glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic flexibility in overweight adults (aged 45-65 y).

METHODS

In this randomized intervention study, subjects consumed a high- and a low-dairy diet [HDD (5-6 dairy portions) and LDD (≤1 dairy portion), respectively] for 6 wk in a crossover design, with a washout period of 4 wk. Dairy portions were 200 g semi-skimmed yoghurt, 30 g reduced-fat (30+) cheese, and 250 mL semiskimmed milk and buttermilk. After 6 wk, a 75-g oral-glucose-tolerance test (13C-labeled) and a subsequent fasting challenge were performed. Metabolic flexibility was studied by determining the respiratory quotient (RQ) using indirect calorimetry. Fasting and postprandial plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin were analyzed. The dual isotope technique enabled calculation of glucose kinetics.

RESULTS

The study was completed by 45 overweight men and postmenopausal women [age 58.9 ± 4.3 y, BMI 27.9 ± 1.9 kg/m2 (mean ± SD)]. Fasting RQ and ΔRQ, reflecting metabolic flexibility, did not differ after both diets. Fasting glucose concentrations were similar, whereas fasting insulin concentrations were lower after the LDD (LDD: 8.1 ± 2.8 mU/L; HDD: 8.9 ± 3.3 mU/L; P = 0.024). This resulted in a higher HOMA-IR after the HDD (P = 0.027). Postprandial glucose and insulin responses as well as glucose kinetics were similar after both diets.

CONCLUSIONS

The amount of dairy intake during a 6-wk period had a neutral effect on metabolic flexibility or postprandial glucose metabolism in middle-aged overweight subjects. More trials are needed to study the effects of specific dairy types and to differentiate between metabolic subgroups. This trial was registered at trialregister.nl as NTR4899.

Novel perspectives on fermented milks and cardiometabolic health with a focus on type 2 diabetes

This review will explore the observational and mechanistic evidence supporting the hypothesis that fermented milk consumption has beneficial effects on metabolism. Live cultures in fermented dairy are thought to contribute to gut microbial balance, which is likely an instrumental mechanism that protects the host against gut dysbiosis and systemic inflammation associated with cardiometabolic diseases. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) release bioactive metabolites, such as exopolysaccharides and peptides, that have the potential to exert a wide range of metabolic and regulatory functions. In particular, peptides derived from fermented dairy products are likely to exert greater cardiometabolic and anti-inflammatory effects than nonfermented dairy. It is hypothesized that LAB-derived bioactive peptides have the potential to protect the host against cardiometabolic diseases through antimicrobial actions and to effect changes in gene expression of glucose regulatory and anti-inflammatory signaling pathways. The peptides released through fermentation may explain some of the health effects of fermented dairy products on cardiometabolic disease risk observed in epidemiological studies, particularly type 2 diabetes; however, mechanisms have yet to be explored in detail.

Calculating Intake of Dietary Risk Components Used in the Global Burden of Disease Studies from the What We Eat in America/National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) is a health burden metric that combines years of life lost due to disease disability and premature mortality. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) has been using DALYs to determine the health burden associated with numerous health risks, including risks associated with dietary intakes, at the global and national level. To translate such information at the food level in the U.S., variables in What We Eat in America (WWEIA) need to be aligned with those in the GBD. In this paper, we develop the necessary new variables needed to account for differences in definitions and units between WWEIA and the GBD. We use the Food Patterns Equivalents Database, Food Patterns Equivalents Ingredient Database, Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies, and Standard Reference databases that provide data for WWEIA to develop food group and nutrient variables that align with definitions and units used in the GBD. Considerable effort was needed to disaggregate mixed dishes to GBD components. We also developed a new “non-starchy” vegetable variable, since the GBD vegetables do not include potatoes and corn, and we report fruits and vegetables in grams instead of household measures. New fiber variables were created to avoid double counting of fiber from legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Regression analyses were used to predict trans-fat content for foods in WWEIA with missing or incomplete information. The majority of foods in various U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) categories contain multiple GBD food groups (e.g., vegetables, whole grains, and processed meat). For most nutrients considered in the GBD, composition is more evenly distributed across the main food categories; however, seafood omega-3 fats were predominantly from either protein foods or mixed dishes and sugar sweetened beverages were from a single category. Dietary intakes in the U.S. fall short of recommendations for all food groups/nutrients with established theoretical minimum-risk targets in GBD. To our knowledge, this is the first approach that aligns WWEIA intake variables with those used in the health burden-based GBD reports. These methods will facilitate researchers to begin comparing data from the U.S. with that from other countries, as well as assess food sustainability performances by concomitantly evaluating DALYs for environmental and nutritional impacts.

The Pattern of Complementary Foods in American Infants and Children Aged 0⁻5 Years Old-A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Data from the NHANES 2011⁻2014

Proper nutrition early in life can influence children’s present and future health. While several authoritative sources provide eating/food recommendations, only a few studies have assessed whether these recommendations are followed. The goal of this paper was to examine food and nutrient intakes on any given day during infancy and early childhood among various ethnicities. Twenty-four-hour dietary recall data of 0–5 years-old children (n = 2431) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014 was used to estimate intakes of nutrients and food groups and prevalence of inadequate intake. Data was analyzed separately for various age groups and ethnicities, and differences in means by age and or race/ethnicity were determined by t-tests with p < 0.05 as significant. The results indicate that intakes of all food groups were expectedly low at 0–11 months, increased with age, and were influenced by race/ethnicity. Mixed dish consumption, which also increased with age, made substantial contributions to children’s food group intakes. However, there was a substantial percentage of the population among all age and race/ethnic groups who did not consume the recommended amounts for each food group and had inadequate intakes of key nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin E. Non-Hispanic black children consumed less dairy and more protein foods, and a significantly greater proportion of these children had inadequate intakes of calcium and vitamin D compared to their peers. In conclusion, the results from this study suggest that a substantial population of American infants and children from 0 to five years of age did not meet food group recommendations and had inadequate intakes of key nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin E from foods.