Katie Brown, EdD, RDN’s Post

We're nearing the end of June, which is National Dairy Month, an annual celebration of the vital role dairy foods play in delivering quality nutrition to help nourish the world. As President of National Dairy Council, I’m always excited to talk about the health, wellness and enjoyment benefits of dairy foods like milk, cheese and yogurt—true nutrition and culinary powerhouses that deserve celebration not only in June, but all year long. Perhaps what I’m most excited about are the modern functional wellness benefits dairy foods offer. I’m talking about the energizing, high-quality protein that's so important to fuel muscles. And we reap digestive health benefits from yogurt and other fermented dairy foods like kefir. Additionally, there’s growing evidence that dairy foods offer a unique package of nutrients that may support mental health alongside a healthy lifestyle. Most Americans are about 1 serving shy of meeting the daily recommendation for 3 servings of dairy foods. Think about this: 1 serving (1 cup or 8 ounces) of milk – the foundation of all dairy foods – provides 25% of daily calcium to build and maintain strong bones and teeth, 15% of daily vitamin D to support bone and immune health, and 10% of daily potassium to support heart health. That’s a lot to pack into just one serving, and this only scratches the surface of what dairy foods contribute toward better nutrition and health. With 13 essential nutrients in milk and a whole food matrix of benefits, the unique nutrition of dairy foods can be hard to replace. As June and National Dairy Month come to a close, please raise a glass (of milk!) and thank the dedicated dairy farmers who make their livelihoods producing delicious and nutritious dairy foods to nourish us. I hope you’ll join me in continuing the celebration throughout the year by spreading the benefits of adding 1 more serving of dairy each day and encouraging everyone to meet their recommended 3 daily dairy servings. #NationalDairyMonth #EnjoyDairy #UndeniablyDairy

Last month my colleague Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN and I presented, "Understanding the Power of Plant and Animal Source Foods in Sustainable Healthy Diets," at the Indiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (IAND) Annual meeting. Here’s a peek at what we discussed: 🥛🥦 Plant and animal source foods are better together. No single food group contributes adequate amounts of the essential nutrients needed for optimal health. For example, dairy foods tend to be higher in protein, iodine, calcium and vitamin B12, while fruits and veggies are higher in fiber and vitamins C and A. As part of their unique food matrices, plant foods offer bioactive compounds like polyphenols, while dairy foods offer immunoglobulins, peptides and probiotics. Combining plant and animal foods like milk, cheese or yogurt helps people benefit from the distinct nutrition offered from a variety of food groups. 🌎 All foods have an environmental impact. As sustainability science progresses, food producers and agricultural sectors are working toward improvements, and thanks to the dedication of U.S. dairy farmers, considerable progress has been made. In fact, a 2019 analysis found that from 2007 to 2017, producing one gallon of milk in the U.S. required 30% less water, 21% less land and 19% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. From visiting many dairy farms myself, I have great appreciation for how farmers use science and generational know-how to provide the best care for their cows, their land and the environment. �� Personalization is paramount. Eating guidance should acknowledge each person's unique cultural, geographical and health considerations in recommendations. With today’s evolving consumer wellness interests, modern nutrition education must be grounded in evidence and tailored to meet individual lifestyles, preferences and health goals. ➕ It’s an “AND” approach. Let’s make the conversation plant AND animal foods instead of animal or plant foods. Both plant and animal foods contribute to the health of people and the planet, deliver a complementary supply of essential nutrients and offer unique culinary attributes — all important to supporting secure and resilient food systems. How do these considerations show up in your work? If you'd like to read our manuscript on this topic, copy this link: DOI 10.3390/nu13103469 Thanks to Hanna Kelley RD, LD and the IN AND for the invitation! #foodsystems #RDN #dietitian #winnersdrinkmilk #nutrition #health #wellness #dairy

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to share with this community what I believe is the next frontier in modern health and wellness: the food matrix. More and more, the science indicates that when we focus on single nutrients in isolation, outside of the context of their whole-food package, we may be missing the forest for the trees. A food’s health potential seems to go beyond the sum of its individual nutrient parts. Decades of nutrition research have already shown that dairy foods play an important role in improving diet quality and reducing disease risk, and the science is just beginning to reveal dairy’s link to functional wellness benefits thanks to its whole-food package. To explore this concept further, National Dairy Council (NDC) recently brought together over 100 scientists and health professional thought leaders at the Undercover Nutrition: A Symposium Decrypting Food and Dairy Matrix Science, aptly held at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Our mission? To review the state of the science on food matrices, with a focus on the latest evidence on dairy food matrices as a guiding case study, and to connect the relevance of the science to the broader health needs of Americans by translating new nutrition insights and messaging into education and outreach. I’m feeling truly inspired by how dairy foods can provide nutrition solutions for a healthier future. Here’s what I learned: 🔎 Continued research and education is vital. Investment in research, contributions to the body of scientific evidence and partnerships with health and wellness organizations have always been core to NDC. The potential of the dairy matrix further highlights the need for continued research and education on the health benefits of dairy foods like milk, cheese and yogurt. 🤝 There is power in cross-sector collaboration. Convening diverse stakeholders from the nutrition science and health and wellness communities—including the dairy farmers who grow and raise our food—has the potential to drive innovative ideas, fill scientific gaps, and usher in an exciting era of nutrition discovery and application. 🥛 Dairy foods play a pivotal, unique role in healthy eating patterns for a diverse population. While food matrix science is complex and still emerging, evidence-based communications with a multidisciplinary approach can help put dairy foods at a variety of fat levels into the context of culturally acceptable, energy-balanced healthy eating patterns. I’m energized about the clear opportunity for a dairy matrix movement that includes collaborative interest in scientific discovery and educational strategies necessary to effectively share the benefits of dairy foods – with some fat flexibility – as part of healthy eating patterns to improve lives. Foods like milk, cheese and yogurt provide us with a unique package of essential nutrients that are hard to match – per bite, per sip or per dollar. #DairyMatrix #FoodMatrix #RDN #Dietitian 

Did you know in the first 6 months of pregnancy a baby’s brain grows from 10 thousand brain cells to 10 billion brain cells? Diet quality is key for optimal brain development during pregnancy and the first few years of life, known as the first 1,000 days. Unfortunately, many women of childbearing age in the U.S. are under-consuming key nutrients, and one of those nutrients—iodine—can impact a child’s IQ and intellectual capacity for life. The good news is that whole food sources of iodine exist, including dairy foods, like milk, cheese and yogurt, as well as seafood and eggs. I recently had the honor of speaking at a TEDx event to raise awareness about the public health concern of iodine deficiency and the importance of nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life to help build healthy brains, bodies and bones. This very specific window of time during pregnancy and the early years of life is where nourishment, for both parent and baby, can make the greatest impact and set baby on a pathway to lifelong wellness. How do we ensure every child gets a fair shot at achieving their full intellectual potential? ·      The medical and health professional communities would benefit from more nutrition training, especially for women of child-bearing age and in collaboration with registered dietitians to reach more and teach more parents who need their time and attention.  ·      Routine screening for food insecurity and ensuring those in need have access to important programs providing nutritious foods like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), is also part of the nutrition security solution. ·      Raise awareness of the importance of eating well and wisely in the first 1,000 days. It is the most critical time in a baby’s life for optimal growth and development of brains and bodies. ·      Help spread the word about the potential for iodine to help transform developing infants and young children into intelligent, thriving adults contributing to society and communities. And remember, the top three natural sources of iodine in the diet are—dairy foods like milk, cheese and yogurt; seafood and eggs which are really simple whole food solutions to ensuring adequate iodine consumption.  I hope you’ll watch the full TEDx talk to learn more and share this link with others to help spread the word. #iodine #braindevelopment #dairyfoods #iodinedeficiency #prenatalnutrition #cognition #TEDx #dietitian #nutrition #maternalhealth #nutritionsecurity #wellness https://lnkd.in/gQiXTUSc

Curious about the latest science and guidance on gut health? Join us on December 7 for a webinar with leading experts Hannah Holscher, PhD, RD and Amanda Sauceda, MS, RD that will showcase the dynamic and synergistic role gut health plays in holistic wellness. Attendees will be empowered with practical science and pro tips on digestive health and wellbeing. This webinar is approved for 1 CEU through CDR and is pending 1 CME through AAFP. Register: https://lnkd.in/gqtM9rmh. #health #nutrition #guthealth

#Health #Nutrition #Wellness #USdairy

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as President, National Dairy Council!

Nutrition has the power to transform our health and well-being in so many ways. I became a dietitian to help people live their best lives through food and nutrition, and essential to this is having access to a variety of nutrient-rich and affordable foods. In an ever-growing digital environment of diet and health misinformation, there’s also the need for credible information about where foods come from and how they help our health, as well as how to shop for and prepare meals in culturally relevant, delicious and nutritious ways. Which is why, on this day, Hunger Action Day, we must acknowledge that food and nutrition insecurity is still an obstacle for 34 million Americans, including 9 million children, who may have limited availability and access to the nutrient-rich foods their bodies need and deserve. Solutions must be amplified to help nourish our neighbors in need in every county across the nation. One way we can help is by working with food banks in their efforts to secure enough nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, whole grains, dairy and fruit for their clients. These are foods that make a tremendous contribution to our overall diet quality, yet many Americans, particularly those who are challenged by food insecurity, are missing out on them. For our neighbors relying on food banks, milk is one of the most requested items, yet it is one of the least available. Lack of access to milk means lack of access to the powerful nutrient package every serving of milk provides—13 essential nutrients to help children grow and perform from the earliest start in life to supporting active adults and thriving in healthy aging. I’m so proud to work on behalf of dairy farmers and with the dairy community who are change-makers working with Feeding America on a shared priority to increase access to milk and dairy foods through the Feeding America network of food banks across the United States. In fact, through our collaboration, dairy distribution, including milk, cheese and yogurt, has grown from 353 million pounds reaching those in need in 2019 to 506 million pounds in 2022. But there’s more to be done. Learn more about how you can get involved during Hunger Action Month and every day from Feeding America: https://lnkd.in/gut7SpkV