Press Releases

American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations
Recognize Dairy’s Role in a Heart-Healthy Diet

Rosemont, Ill. (June 19, 2006) Lowfat and fat-free milk and milk products should be included in a heart-healthy diet, according to the newly released American Heart Association 2006 Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations.

The American Heart Association’s (AHA) new recommendations advise Americans to follow healthy dietary patterns such as the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), a lowfat eating plan that includes food groups encouraged by the federal government, such as lowfat and fat-free milk and milk products, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. The DASH diet may help reduce high blood pressure as effectively as some medications.

New AHA recommendations mark the latest call-to-action for Americans to establish healthy eating and lifestyle habits. The USDA’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines also encourage Americans to increase their intake of nutrient rich lowfat and fat-free milk and milk products – as well as fruits, vegetables and whole grains – to help meet nutrient needs and prevent chronic disease.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines increased the recommendation of dairy foods to three servings of lowfat or fat-free milk, cheese or yogurt every day to help meet the nutrition requirements for four of the seven most critical nutrients Americans are lacking, including: vitamin A, calcium, magnesium and potassium. The Dietary Guidelines also recognize that people who consume more dairy foods have better overall diets, consume more nutrients and have improved bone health.

For more information on the health benefits of dairy, visit the National Dairy Council’s Web site at www.nationaldairycouncil.org.