BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) Recently, the 2018 China Milk Merchants Index Report (hereinafter referred to as the Report) jointly sponsored by many authoritative organizations was released in Beijing. The report puts forward the concept of "milk merchant" for the first time, and makes an in-depth study on the present situation of milk drinking in Chinese from three dimensions: milk drinking consciousness, milk drinking knowledge and milk drinking behavior, which has aroused great concern in the industry. According to the report, in 2018, the score of China Milk Merchants Index was only 60.6, which means that Chinese people’s awareness, knowledge and behavior of drinking milk are at a low level. So, how do Chinese people know about drinking milk? How to improve the consumption of Chinese dairy products? How to choose dairy products at different ages? In this regard, Fan Zhihong, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, College of Food Science, China Agricultural University, gave professional answers to these questions.
Chinese does not fully understand the benefits of eating milk.
Milk is recognized as a nutritious drink in the world. However, Professor Fan Zhihong pointed out that Chinese people’s understanding of milk is not comprehensive enough except that it can supplement human nutrition. For example, most people don’t know the benefits of drinking milk for chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, and its role in preventing obesity, so they are not motivated enough when choosing dairy products.
Fan Zhihong further exemplified that for patients with hypertension, they need more minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, and dairy products are not only rich in calcium, but also have a low potassium content, which is suitable for patients with hypertension. Many studies in the last two years have also proved that the risk of stroke will also decrease when the intake of dairy products is sufficient. Therefore, Fan Zhihong suggested that people with hypertension and cerebral thrombosis should actively consume milk, especially yogurt with low sugar content.
For people who need to prevent obesity, choosing milk and yogurt instead of cookies, snacks, potato chips, cakes and other snacks with high calories will reduce the risk of gaining weight, because the comprehensive nutritional value provided by milk is far superior to these snacks.
Therefore, to a certain extent, for the 4% people who never drink milk as shown in the China Milk Merchant Index Report in 2018, it may be an important reason why they don’t drink milk because they don’t realize the benefits of milk.
Diversified ways of eating are the key to increase the consumption of dairy products.
The consumption habit of dairy products in China determines that most people prefer to "drink" rather than "eat" milk. In foreign countries, milk is made into food such as cheese, and people not only "drink" but also "eat" milk. Then, according to Chinese people’s eating habits, how to increase the consumption of dairy products?
Fan Zhihong said that people can choose their own acceptable and easy-to-operate dairy products according to their physical condition and their tastes, instead of just drinking milk. For example, some adults feel uncomfortable when they drink milk, so they can consider drinking yogurt or goat milk. You can also incorporate milk into other foods, such as putting milk in oatmeal at breakfast, or putting milk in steamed bread, cakes and bread, so that the pasta will be better in flavor, color and taste.
In addition, for middle-aged and elderly people, it is not necessary to choose milk, but also consider choosing yogurt, because yogurt can be better digested and absorbed by lactic acid bacteria fermentation, and it is also very friendly to the stomach of the elderly, and it is not easy to appear lactose intolerance. In view of the fact that some elderly people think that yogurt is cold and cold, which will cause stomach discomfort, Fan Zhihong pointed out that yogurt doesn’t have to be cold, but it can be eaten after it is hot, or it can be eaten with some hot food, or even drunk with some hot milk. By eating milk in a variety of ways, the consumption of milk will naturally increase.
How to drink milk correctly for people of different ages and with special needs?
For example, for teenagers and pregnant women, how should we drink milk to help the body absorb it better?
Fan Zhihong pointed out that the growing teenagers need a lot of calcium to support their bone growth, because they grow up quickly. Therefore, if parents want their children to grow taller, they should take more calcium in moderation during their adolescence, including adding half a catty of dairy products every day.
Pregnant women are very suitable for drinking milk or other dairy products, and they are more important than the average person. Because pregnant women not only need to supplement their own calcium, but also need to provide the calcium needed by the fetus during the process of fetal gestation. Therefore, pregnant women should drink one more glass of milk than normal. Generally, pregnant women and nursing mothers are encouraged to drink two cups of milk every day at home and abroad, which is about a catty.
For menopausal women, Fan Zhihong suggested that they should insist on taking enough calcium as adults of other ages, and even increase it appropriately, but if the amount is increased, it can be added through a variety of foods. At the same time, the increased amount of milk should be used to replace unhealthy food, not staple food or vegetables, otherwise it may not be healthy. In addition, milk is only one of the contributors to bone health, and it cannot replace exercise, nor does it provide other sufficient nutrients such as potassium and magnesium. It is still necessary to eat enough vegetables and beans.
Finally, Fan Zhihong pointed out that milk, like fish, eggs, vegetables, grain and other foods, is a part of our healthy diet plate, which can bring nutrients and health care ingredients to the human body. It is not necessary to exaggerate it or belittle it. We should scientifically understand its benefits and eat it scientifically. In this respect, Chinese people need more popular science education.