*As FrieslandCampina commemorates day

As countries commemorate the World Milk Day (WMD) 2013, researchers have advised women who are pregnant or planning to have children to consume the right amount of iodine, which is found in milk, or risk their child having a low Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

A study of more than 1,000 pregnant women found those who consumed lower amounts of iodine, which is absorbed from food and found in milk, dairy products and fish, were more likely to have children with lower IQs and reading abilities.

Iodine is essential for producing hormones made by the thyroid gland, which has a direct effect on the development of the foetal brain.

At a recent commemoration in Lagos, by FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria, President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Prof. Ngozi Nnam said more milk should be consumed daily for good health and vitality.

Nnam noted that milk had proven to be a complete food that improves the nutritional quality of a diet. “Its’ rich nutrient composition, health and other benefits in prepared food strongly qualify milk as an important component of a diet,” she said.

Previous research has shown that conventional milk is better for pregnant women than organic milk. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition discovered that organic milk contains 42 per cent less iodine than the regular variety.

The study by researchers at Bristol and Surrey universities found two thirds of the 1,040 pregnant women they tested were iodine deficient. These women were more likely to have children with lower IQs, and it was found the lower the iodine the lower the IQ and reading ability.

Prof. Margaret Rayman of the University of Surrey, who led the study, said: “Our results clearly show the importance of adequate iodine status during early pregnancy, and emphasise the risk that iodine deficiency can pose to the developing infant, even in a country classified as only mildly iodine deficient.”

Researchers have said pregnant women should ensure they get enough iodine by eating dairy products and fish, as well as drinking milk. But they warned against kelp supplements, as they can have ‘excessive levels’ of iodine.

The study, which has been published in The Lancet, used samples from the ‘Children of the 90s’ project, a long-term health research project involving 14,000 mothers who enrolled while pregnant during 1991 and 1992. The health and development of their children has been followed ever since.

Dr Sarah Bath, a co-author and registered dietician, said: “Pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy should ensure adequate iodine intake; good dietary sources are milk, dairy products and fish. Women who avoid these foods and are seeking alternative iodine sources can consult the iodine fact sheet that we have developed, which is available on the websites of the University of Surrey and the British Dietetic Association.

“Kelp supplements should be avoided as they may have excessive levels of iodine.”

An earlier study based in Tasmania, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, showed nine year olds who received insufficient iodine in the womb due to a period of deficiency in the population got lower scores on literacy tests.

Nnam, a Professor of Public Health Nutrition, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, noted that the WMD commemoration was very important to underscore new findings and the importance of milk to health and vitality in young and old.

She observed that there are varieties of milk, which everyone would find useful to promote growth, dental and cardiovascular health as well as reduce the risk of colorectal and breast cancer.

While breast milk remains the best source of food for newborn, at least in the first six months of life, adults have a variety of milk to choose from and these include pasteurised milk, homogenised, fortified, whole and reduced fat.

Others are low fat, free-fat, flavoured (for children); filled, evaporated, sweetened condensed, low sodium, whole dry, low fat dry milk, fat free dry and butter milk.

On the benefits, she said: “Milk promotes growth because it is an exceptionally good source of protein that is readily digestible and biologically available. It supports sound bone growth and development because it is very good source of calcium in the diet, vitamin D, phosphorus and magnesium.

“It promotes cardiovascular health because of its rich potassium, calcium and riboflavin contents. Calcium could help decrease bad cholesterol in the blood to reduce heart problems. Helps to build immunity because of its rich vitamin A content.

“Regular consumption of low fat dairy products can help to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. The effect may be due to the combined effects of many beneficial nutrients in dairy foods including calcium and magnesium and the low glycemic index of dairy foods,” she said.

Managing Director, FrieslandCampina WAMPO Nigeria, Peter Eshikene said the company commemorated the day to broaden knowledge on various milk usage. The theme for this year’s WMD is ‘Do more with milk.

This theme is important for us as a company because we believe it is our responsibility as the leader in the dairy industry to create necessary platform for Nigerians to share enlightened information on milk.

“Indeed, Nigerians are already versatile with milk usages, so we will propagate this across regions and culture; educating them on other possible milk usages and their corresponding nutritional benefits,” Eshikene said.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FOA) of the United Nations (UN) created the WMD, celebrated every June 1, in 2001 to reflect on all the goodness that milk represents: its natural origin, nutritional value, the numerous delicious dairy products enjoyed by so many people all over the world and the economic importance of milk for rural areas and the food chain as a whole.