Abstract
BackgroundDairy products are nutrient-rich foods that may contribute to adequate nutrient intakes. However, dairy intake might also be associated with other food sources that influence nutrient intakes. Therefore, we studied the association of dairy, milk and cheese intake with intake of foods and nutrients from (non)dairy sources.MethodsDietary intake was assessed from 2007 to 2010 through two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls in 1007 children (7–13 years) and 706 adolescents (14–18 years). Participants were divided into non-consumers of a particular dairy product and tertiles according to their dairy intake (lowest, medium and highest intake). P for trend was calculated by linear regression over the median intakes of non-consumers and the tertiles for dairy, milk and cheese.ResultsIn children, higher dairy consumption was associated with higher intakes of fruits (54.8 g ± 22.3; p < 0.0001), vegetables (25.0 g ± 14.6; p = 0.001) and cereals (18.5 g ± 20.7; p = 0.01) and with lower consumption of non-alcoholic beverages (−281 g ± 101; p = 0.01): soft drinks (−159 g ± 28.2; p < 0.0001) and fruit juices (−40.5 ± 14.8; p = 0.01). Results were comparable for milk consumption. In adolescents, similar results were found for milk and dairy consumption, except for the associations with higher fruits and vegetable intake.In children and adolescents, higher cheese consumption was associated with higher vegetable and non-alcoholic beverages consumption; and lower meat consumption (−7.8 g ± 4.8; p = 0.05) in children. Higher cheese consumption was also associated with higher intakes of saturated fat (8.5 g ± 0.9), trans-fatty acids (0.48 g ± 0.06), sodium (614 mg ± 59.3) and several vitamins and minerals .ConclusionsHigher milk and dairy consumption were associated with lower non-alcoholic beverages consumption, and higher cereal, fruit and vegetable consumption in children, which was also reflected in the nutrient intakes. These findings confirm that the consumption of milk and dairy products might be a marker for healthier eating habits.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12887-015-0524-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Dairy products are nutrient-rich foods that may contribute to adequate nutrient intakes
Firstly higher dairy consumption was associated with higher height and weight, no differences were seen in Body mass index (BMI)
This knowledge might be helpful for recommendations to ensure adequate nutrient intakes in children and adolescents
Summary
Dairy products are nutrient-rich foods that may contribute to adequate nutrient intakes. Dairy products, and especially cheese and high-fat dairy products, may contribute to an excess intake of energy, sodium, saturated fatty acids (SFA) and in recent decades, the consumption of milk and dairy products by children and adolescents has waned, with a substantial proportion of youth failing to Campmans-Kuijpers et al BMC Pediatrics (2016) 16:2 meet intake recommendations [2]. In the Netherlands, children aged 4 to 8 years are recommended to consume 400 ml of milk and 10 gram of cheese, whereas for adolescents 600 ml of milk and 20 gram cheese is recommended, both preferably low fat [7] These recommendations are comparable to other developed countries, where children under the age of 9 years are recommended to use approximately 500 ml dairy products and adolescents > 600 ml dairy per day [2]
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