More than 80 percent of Taiwanese consume less than half of the recommended daily intake of dairy products, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday.
To mark World Milk Day yesterday, the HPA and the Council of Agriculture invited baseball star Lin Chih-sheng (林智勝) to promote the health benefits of milk and dairy products, and together they demonstrated how to make a nut and papaya milk smoothie.
HPA Director-General Wang Ying-wei (王英偉) said that milk is one of the best sources of calcium, as it also contains many other nutrients, and the administration recommends that people drink a cup (240ml) of milk every morning and evening, or consume other dairy products to ensure they consume enough calcium.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
Children, older adults and postmenopausal women, who are less able to retain calcium, should especially try to get enough calcium, he said.
Citing a national HPA health and nutrition survey from 2013 to 2016, HPA Community Health Division head Lo Su-ying (羅素英) said that more than 80 percent of Taiwanese consume less than one serving of dairy foods per day, while the recommended daily intake is at least two servings.
The survey also showed that inadequate calcium consumption is a common problem, as most people aged seven or older only consume about 30 to 50 percent of the recommended daily amount, she said.
Nutritionist Yang Che-hsiung (楊哲雄) said that two cups of milk per day would only account for half of the adult daily recommendation of 1,000mg of calcium.
People should also try to consume cheese, nuts, leafy green vegetables and other foods rich in calcium, Yang said.
Calcium is essential for building bones and maintaining bone mass and condition, and allows blood to clot, muscles to contract and enables cell signaling, Lo said, adding that calcium absorption from dairy products is higher than many other foods.
Lo said that people who are lactose sensitive can choose dairy products low in lactose, such as yogurt or cheese, and vegans or people who are lactose intolerant should consume more nuts, leafy green vegetables or tofu.
Department of Animal Industry Deputy Director Wang Chung-shu (王忠恕) said that the government has actively promoted certification labels for agricultural products, such as the milk certification label, the traceable agricultural product label and the Certified Agricultural Standards label, so consumers can feel reassured about the quality of the food they purchase.
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