May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month. Osteoporosis is a medical condition where bones become fragile and more likely to break. Here are some startling facts from the National Osteoporosis Foundation: Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans, or 55 percent of the people 50 years of age and older.

In 2005, about 293,000 Americans age 45 and over were admitted to hospitals with a fracture of the femoral neck, a common type of hip fracture. Osteoporosis was the underlying cause of most of these injuries. An average of 24 percent of hip fracture patients aged 50 and over die in the year following their fracture.

The best ways to prevent osteoporosis are to eat foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, like milk, cheese and yogurt, and engage in regular weight bearing exercise like walking, jogging or even carrying groceries, all of which build bone strength and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

The following resources are available on our website to help you build stronger bones:

• Calcium Quiz
• MyFitness Planner
• Vitamin D: What You Need to Know about the Sunshine Vitamin

As the month of May wraps up, take some time to learn about ways to prevent osteoporosis.

Dairy Council of California

I recently attended a webinar titled, The Power of Protein in Optimal Health. In a world of health messages focused primarily on the benefits of eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which are all healthful and often under-consumed carbohydrate sources, it was refreshing to hear a new and rather fresh message … “eat more protein.” I was also pleased to learn that valid scientific studies back up this recommendation. The scientifically valid version of a “higher” protein diet differs from a fad diet because the protein levels still fall within the recommended range of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% fat. In contrast, the induction phase of the Atkins Diet only allows 20 grams of carbohydrate, which is a ketogenic diet. Thirty percent of calories from protein still allows for flexibility in dietary planning and falls within the recommendations of AMDR (Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range), which is 10-35%.

According to the research presented, protein plays a key role in satiety, weight management, chronic disease prevention, preservation of lean body mass and bone health. Dr. Kevin Short, PhD, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center noted that there are many conditions that would benefit from higher protein intake: 

• Aging
• Muscle wasting
• Acute injury or illness
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Osteoporosis
• Exercise training

Several myths about higher protein intakes were “debunked”, the most significant one being protein's effect on bone health. The old theory is that protein weakens bones by increasing calciuria, or calcium excretion in the urine. According to Dr. Stuart Phillips, PhD, Professor, McMaster University, new research shows that calciuria is actually caused by a greater or enhanced uptake of calcium. He pointed out that bone and dietary protein are perfect partners. In fact, higher protein diets are associated with greater bone mass and fewer fractures when calcium intake is adequate. This is just another reason why milk is so good for our bones, as it delivers a package of nutrients that includes both calcium and protein, which you may not find in other calcium fortified beverages or supplements.

As health professionals, we need to acknowledge the benefits that are provided in a healthy diet that contains protein-rich food sources, such as milk and milk products, lean meats, eggs, fish and poultry, as well as plant sources like beans, nuts and seeds. These foods should be encouraged along with the recommendations to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. People will respond to this complete and “diverse” dietary message. In fact, this webinar highlighted market research that shows people believe that protein contributes to healthy living, and that they want to consume more protein! Scientific research indicates that high-quality protein is of significant importance to optimal health, as well as disease prevention and management. For more information on this topic, check out our Spring 2009 Health Connections Newsletter.

Ashley Rosales, R.D.

Project Manager

The California WIC (Women, Infants & Children) Association just held their 2010 Annual Conference and Trade Show titled “WIC Goes Platinum!” on May 2-5 in San Diego. Dairy Council of California was very excited to be a sponsor, exhibitor and panel presenter. Here is a brief overview of the highlights from the conference: 

• With the addition of new foods to the WIC package, there has been an increased need for easy-to-prepare, healthy recipes that incorporate ways to use these foods every day. Our meal planning website, Meals Matter, now offers a free, online cookbook specifically for WIC staff and participants. The recipes highlight many of the new WIC approved foods such as fruits and vegetable, low-fat milk and whole grains as well as other affordable nutrient-rich foods. There are also several WIC friendly recipes that include seasonally available produce. We promoted this great new resource with staff during the trade show, and the response was wonderful! If you are looking for ideas for food demonstrations, I encourage you to check it out.
• Dairy Council of California’s Program Services Director, Mary Anne Burkman, MPH, RD, was a panel presenter for the workshop session, Improving WIC Food Packages: California WIC Yogurt Pilot Results. This session discussed a 2009 research study that evaluated if yogurt would be a popular and feasible option in the WIC food package. The results showed that 86% of the WIC participants were overwhelmingly eager to substitute yogurt vouchers for some of their milk vouchers. WIC participants who used the yogurt coupons reported a trend of increasing their yogurt intake without decreasing consumption of other dairy products, indicating that the nutrients from the addition of yogurt can be considered additive. In addition, the cost analysis found that although more expensive than milk, yogurt may be less expensive than various milk substitutes such as tofu, particularly when evaluated by the calcium contribution of the alternatives. The results of this study have been submitted to USDA in an effort to allow yogurt in the final ruling of the WIC food package. For more in-depth information, you can download the session slides. Dairy Council of California was a partner on this study with Children’s Hospital & Research Center, Oakland; Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley; the California WIC program; National Dairy Council and General Mills.
• During the exhibit, we were able to speak to several WIC staff about nutrition education. Many of them have been long-time users of our programs, but there were also many who learned about our free nutrition education resources for the first time. Several of our program offerings go hand-in-hand with the target WIC audience, so it's a win-win! Making Meals Matter for Your Young Child, Pregnancy-A Special Time for Nutrition and The Calcium Connection-From One Generation to Another are all free to health educators in California and are available in English and Spanish. With limited budgets during these tough economic times, many WIC clinics rely on these free, yet highly effective resources.

 Dairy Council of California is pleased to be able to partner with California WIC. We look forward to next year's CWA Annual Conference, as well as working together to create a healthier state, one family at a time!

Ashley Rosales, R.D.

Project Manager 

I recently had the privilege of being a moderator of a session at the California Dietetic Association Annual meeting titled, Unintended Consequences of Simple Dietary Advice: Optimizing Health & Minimizing Harm. The speakers were Dr. Doris Derelian, professor of Food Science and Nutrition at California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo and Dr. Gail Frank, professor of Nutrition and Director of the Dietetic Internship at California State University Long Beach.

These speakers described a phenomenon they have noticed over the past few years -- nutrition advice is often condensed into very simple messages for the sake of consumer education and the intent to change consumer behavior. Although these messages may be useful to some, they are not intended to provide complete dietary advice and at times may cause more harm than good.

What are Unintended Consequences? Any intervention in a complex system that may or may not have the intended result, but will inevitably create unanticipated and often undesired outcomes. There are three types:

• a positive unexpected benefit, usually referred to as serendipity or windfall
• a negative unexpected drawback, occurring in addition to the desired effect of the policy
• a perverse effect, that may be contrary to what was originally intended; when a potential solution to a problem only makes the situation worse

An example, during the 1980s the popular nutrition message was to "Eat Low Fat". The intent of this message was to lose weight and reduce the risk of heart disease. As a result, calories from fat were reduced; however, calories from carbohydrates increased. The net result was significant population-wide weight gain. Health professionals need to be skilled at sharing the perspective of the total diet and equip clients to evaluate their overall nutritional needs before adopting isolated dietary changes.

The speakers had these take away messages:

• Use a food guide system (like MyPyramid) as a basis for forming a sustainable, healthy eating plan. It is flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of goals and health concerns, yet ensures adequate intake of individual nutrients.
• Choose nutrient-dense foods from all of the food groups to optimize nutrient intake while keeping calories in check.
• Before recommending a dietary change, consider the overall impact it may have particularly on long-term health and wellness.

To read more about this topic, read this paper, Unintended Consequences of Simplistic Dietary Recommendations, Good Advice Gone Awry? Considering the impact of a dietary recommendation on the total diet is an interesting twist in dietary counseling and public education. Are we up for the challenge?

Maureen Bligh, MA, RD

Project Manager