Led by sales of yogurt, butter and cheese, the dairy category is enjoying record growth — and still dwarfs the market for plant-based beverages by a wide margin.
Overwhelmingly, 84% of consumers consider health and wellness when purchasing fresh food — and more than half are willing to pay a premium for foods with healthy properties, explains a 2022 report by Deloitte Consulting, LLP.
Dairy foods and beverages, for example, generally boast a simple ingredient list and are nutrient-dense, says Kristal Mylander, MPH, RDN, program director, Nutrition Science, Dairy Council of California. Milk and yogurt are also recognized as minimally processed or unprocessed. For these reasons, dairy products appeal to health- and sustainability-conscious consumers driven by a back-to-basics nutritional view that includes whole foods produced with the health of both people and planet in mind.
And dairy isn’t just versatile as a consumer product — it’s scientifically versatile, and challenges conventional diet rules about fats, she says.
Not all fats are equalWhile whole milk dairy foods are sources of saturated fat, the idea of “fats” in food is getting a reappraisal, says Mylander. “Not all dietary fats are equal."
For example, research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that, among adults 65 and older, a higher consumption of whole milk dairy products may help lower the risk of both death and cardiovascular disease.
“We're beginning to understand more about dairy foods, including their really unique package of nutrients and health-promoting benefits,” Mylander says. “A growing body of evidence suggests that whole milk dairy foods are not associated with adverse effects on our health, regardless of their saturated fat, sodium or sugar content.”
Case in point: A 2021 study examined 72 patients with metabolic syndrome at risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. The study concluded that a diet rich in whole milk dairy (milk, yogurt and cheese) had no effect on blood pressure or cholesterol compared to a diet limited in dairy or rich in low-fat dairy. In addition, while whole milk dairy products have more calories, studies have found they aren’t likely to cause weight gain.
“Studies such as these help to distill the understanding of the nutrition of whole milk dairy foods for consumers. This means moderate amounts of whole milk dairy can be a part of the overall healthy eating plan as long as you're balancing your intake of other foods that may also contain saturated fat.”
Understanding the food matrixThe USDA defines the food matrix as the relationships between the nutrient and non-nutrient components of foods. This may include a food’s vitamins and minerals in a food as well as its physical structure, texture and form, which all interact to impact digestion, absorption and physiological functions important for health, Mylander explains.
According to the food matrix concept, nutrients from a balanced diet work synergistically with other nutrient-dense foods to create greater bioavailability (or the ability to absorb nutrients for storage and use in our bodies).
Our health is therefore not just about the amount of nutrients we eat, but the mix and balance of those nutrients and how they interact in our bodies, Mylander explains.
“When certain foods are eaten together, we see that their nutritional benefits can be amplified. So whole foods — as well as combinations of different foods that are eaten together — are greater than the sum of their parts, which is why an overall healthy eating pattern is really important.”
The unique dairy matrix in fermented foods such as yogurts and cheeses may also make them easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance. This may be because the fermentation process helps to break down lactose, which makes these foods easier to digest.
Lactose-free dairy products are also available, and contain the same nutrition as regular dairy, she adds. “The difference is just that an enzyme is added to these products to help break down the lactose so they can be easily digested by those who are lactose intolerant.”
Whole milk products have unique health benefits for children, as well. “When we’re looking at children and adolescents, including milk and dairy as a part of healthy eating patterns could help reduce the risk of developing chronic disease later in life,” Mylander says.
One example stems from recent research where children who drank whole milk had a 39% reduced risk for being overweight or obese than those who drank low-fat or skim milk. Nutrient-dense dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt are also important sources of essential nutrients children need for healthy growth and development and contribute to healthy eating habits that children can carry into adulthood.
Yet the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) show that between 68-94% of school-age children fail to meet recommended levels of dairy intake.
Improving children’s dairy intake can help create healthier futures, Mylander says. “Milk is affordable, it's palatable and it helps children meet their daily nutrient needs, especially during this important time of growth.”
California dairy farmers are also leaders in planet-smart agricultural practices
that reduce environmental impact, while producing milk for nutritious dairy foods and beverages to sustain communities, she adds.
For example, about 40% of a California dairy cow’s diet consists of byproducts from food and fiber production unusable for human consumption, like almond hulls and cottonseed, which reduces materials going into landfills and resources used to grow feed. Over the past five decades, California dairy farmers also have reduced the amount of water needed to produce a gallon of milk by over 88%, while shrinking their carbon footprint by 45%. Today, they are more than halfway to reaching a statewide goal of 40% less cow methane emissions by 2030, Mylander says.
“We're recognizing that solutions to create more sustainable food systems need to extend beyond just focusing on the health of the planet, but also meet the health of people and the nutritional, social and economic needs of a growing global population.”
Produced by AP Content Services, the paid content service of The Associated Press. The AP news staff was not involved in the creation of this content.
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