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Dairy Spot: The Mid-Atlantic Spot for Dairy

Ask the Dietitian Archives:

  • June 2010
    Should chocolate milk be subjected to the “sugar tax” proposed on sugar-sweetened beverages?
  • May 2010
    What is the best/safest way for taking milk with us
  • April 2010
    How can I tell if my cheese is vegetarian?
  • March 2010:
    Can dairy foods can cause or aggravate autism in children?
  • February 2010:
    Do sugary drinks like chocolate milk really fuel weight gain?
  • January 2010:
    Are there any foods that can help me get rid of a puffy midsection
  • December 2009:
    Should I eliminate saturated fats from my diet?
  • November 2009:
    What's a good way to gain weight if you're underweight? Should I switch from lowfat dairy to whole milk products?
  • October 2009:
    Recently the American Heart Association stated that Americans are eating too much sugar and recommended that people cut down. Does that include dairy products, too?
  • September 2009:
    How can I, as a parent, be involved in this movement to help kids in her school eat better?
  • August 2009:
    Is frozen yogurt healthier than ice cream?
  • July 2009:
    What are sterols and what do they do?
  • June 2009:
    Is it safe to feed your family raw milk?
  • May 2009:
    What is the dairy industry doing to help support Mrs. Obama’s agenda for a more nutritious and sustainable food supply?
  • April 2009:
    Can eating at home also contribute to weight gain?
  • March 2009:
    Are natural trans-fats as unhealthy as man-made trans-fats?
  • Febraury 2009:
    Contaminated milk and milk formulas
  • January 2009:
    Is Greek yogurt nutritionally different from regular yogurt?
  • December 2008:
    Kids and vitamin D
  • November 2008:
    Where can I find kid-friendly, healthy snacks in my rush between work and sports practice?
  • October 2008:
    What does the Daily Value represent on my yogurt’s nutrition label?
  • September 2008:
    Isn’t diet and exercise the best way to promote heart health?
  • August 2008:
    Healthy choices from fast-food menus?
  • July 2008:
    Body detoxification
  • June 2008:
    Is it possible to eat well without breaking the bank?
  • May 2008:
    "Downed" cows
  • April 2008:
    Are there healthier espresso options?
  • March 2008:
    “Deceptively Delicious”
  • February 2008:
    What does "nutrient-rich" mean?
  • January 2008:
    Raw milk vs. pasteurized milk
  • December 2007:
    The dairy industry’s involvement in eating “local”
  • November 2007:
    E. coli and dairy foods
  • October 2007:
    School lunches vs. packed lunches
  • September 2007:
    Fat-free half-and-half
  • August 2007:
    Milk’s impact on teeth
  • July 2007:
    Dealing with lactose intolerance
  • June 2007:
    The relationship between calcium and heart disease
  • May 2007:
    Mothers’ influences on daughter’s eating habits
  • April 2007:
    “Extreme eating” at restaurants
  • March 2007:
    The validity of industry-sponsored dairy studies
  • February 2007:
    What is cloned milk and is it safe?
  • January 2007:
    Cholesterol guidelines for children



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    Frequently Asked Questions

    June 2007

    By Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, LDN
    Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association

    Q: I’ve read that a calcium build-up in the arteries can cause a heart attack, and now some mall and health fair screenings offer imaging tests for detecting calcium in the heart. What is the relationship between calcium and heart disease?

    A: Calcium is a mineral found mostly in bones but is also in other parts of the human body. The cells in the heart and blood vessels contain calcium, which helps the cardiovascular system function normally. As calcium moves into and out of the heart cells, it triggers the contraction of the heart muscles that cause the heart to pump. Calcium also generates the squeezing action of the blood vessels that help move blood through the body.

    Deposits of fatty plaque in the arteries, called atherosclerosis, contribute to the production of a protein that binds very small amounts of calcium circulating in the blood.  And the body responds to inflammation by depositing calcium in the area of damage. This applies to all parts of the body, including the coronary arteries. Thus, artery walls can become “calcified.”

    Heart attacks often come with no warning. Because calcium shows up easily on X-rays, and particularly on CAT scans, an imaging technology called coronary calcium scan can examine the heart in just minutes and may provide some advance notice of problems.  Heart scans may indicate if you're at higher risk of a heart attack or other problems well before you have any outward symptoms of disease.

    But the calcium that can build up in arteries is independent of the calcium you consume — dietary calcium has no effect on atherosclerosis. While calcium detection may aid in the diagnosis of atherosclerosis, the treatment of coronary artery disease is not about reducing calcium.  In fact, the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) has shown that calcium from nonfat or lowfat dairy products helps lower blood pressure, reducing cardiac risk.  The American Heart Association (AHA) recommendation is for adults to consume between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams of calcium each day. Fat-free milk and lowfat dairy products are recommended by AHA as excellent sources of calcium.

    For more information about the DASH diet, visit:

    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf

    For American Heart Association’s calcium and dairy and recommendations, log on to:

    http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4453 and

    http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4684