Dairy Products : Nearly Perfect Foods

Dairy products are foods made from milk. Milk is also part of the dairy products category. Milk and milk products are good foods for the health of those who can digest them. They contain protein, fats, sugar, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A, D, E and B-complex vitamins.


dairy products list

Milk is a good source of high-quality protein.

A cup of milk contains 8 grams of balanced protein-one-fourth of the daily protein needs of a young child and one-eighth to one-sixth that of an adult. Thus, a child who drinks a quart of milk a day gets all the protein he or she needs from that one source. Milk protein is especially good as a complement to proteins from grains and vegetables. Thus milk in your cereal bowl improves the protein value of the cereal. For many people, milk and dairy products are nutritious foods that are beneficial to health.

However, many people are intolerant to the lactose found in milk and are, consequently, unable to consume it without having digestive problems. It is also best for certain individuals such as those suffering from acne, congestion of the respiratory tract and from high cholesterol or triglycerides levels, to consume milk and dairy products in moderation.

List of Dairy Products

  • Butter, cream, ice cream, sour cream
  • Milk, goat’s milk, frozen milk, yoghurt, frozen yoghurt
  • Cheese such as brie, goat’s cheese, gruyere, cheddar, blue cheese, camembert, cottage cheese, etc.

Black Marks Against Milk

Despite its basic excellence as a food for infants and young children, milk can cause a number of problems in the pediatric-aged group, and some of them may interfere with good nutrition.

Milk allergy. Some infants are allergic to one or more of the proteins in cow’s milk, which contains really three times as much protein as human breast milk. If the infant’s immature digestive system can’t handle the proteins properly, the baby may become sensitized to them and develop a range of symptoms that are easily confused with other health problems.  They include eczema, diarrhea, colic, constipation, irritability, asthma, ear infection, refusal to eat. The best way to diagnose milk allergy is to remove all milk and milk products from the child’s diet and see if the symptoms disappear.

Iron deficiency anemia. Children who drink a lot of milk to the exclusion of other foods may not get enough iron in their diets and consequently may become anemic.

Nursing-bottle syndrome. Many young children today develop severe decay of their teeth. This can lead to premature loss of the baby teeth and improper growth of the permanent ones that follow. Ironically, milk, which is so important to forming strong , healthy teeth, is the usual cause. Nursing-bottle syndrome, as the problem is called, results from repeated instances in which the child goes to bed with a bottle. The child dozes off and pools of milk collect around the front teeth and provide ideal growing conditions for decay-causing bacteria.

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