Milk, Nutrition | Nutritionist sounds milk alarm: – Undeserved bad reputation

2023 was no exception: Norwegians’ consumption of milk continues to decline.

We drink drastically less of skimmed milk and skimmed milk in particular, while there has actually been a small increase in the sale of whole milk and flavored soured milk.

The Norwegian Directorate of Health’s consultation draft of the dietary advice that was presented on 22 March does little to give hope that sales will increase in the future.

In this year’s draft, the number of recommended daily portions of dairy products has been adjusted down from “three” to “two to three”, in addition to plant drinks and dairy substitutes being launched for the first time as a possible substitute for dairy products.

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– Undeserved bad reputation

The fact that interest in milk is declining is causing concern for clinical nutritionist Tine Mejlbo Sundfør.

She believes that many Norwegians’ perception of milk, that milk is “unhealthy”, is one of the reasons why the trend persists.

– It is probably because many people think that milk is not so healthy. I hope we can create a more positive image of such healthy foods that have received an undeserved bad reputation, says Sundfør to Nettavisen.

As Nettavisen mentioned on Friday, the sale of protein-enriched dairy products has skyrocketed in recent years, but it is not the proteins in the milk that Sundfør is worried that Norwegians are missing out on.

Dairy products such as milk and yoghurt are, together with white fish, one of the only sources of iodine. In addition, milk is rich in calcium, which is important for bone building.

– It is a problem that Norwegians drink less milk, because young women in particular get too little calcium and too little iodine, Sundfør states.

Read more about why iodine is important for the body in the last paragraph.

– Shouldn’t dictate what people eat

Last month, Nina Cathrine Johansen wrote a debate entry in Aftenposten where she questioned whether cow’s milk is more natural and less processed than other milk, and debated why you don’t need to drink animal milk.

“So why not avoid environmental toxins, centrifuged milk fat and secret concentrate ingredients and instead choose Norwegian-produced oat milk? Here, everything is on the packaging!”, concludes the debate post with.

Johansen has a master’s degree in nutrition and is deputy chairman of the medical and nutrition association “Mat for helsen”. To Nettavisen, she explains why she chose to write the debate post:

– I’m not saying that you shouldn’t drink milk if you want to, but it’s not necessary. It is often portrayed as if milk is necessary because it contains calcium and iodine, but that is not true, says Johansen to Nettavisen.

– Most plant milks have calcium added, and several also have iodine added, in the same quantities as the milk. That is our point. Of course we shouldn’t dictate what people should eat and drink, but I think it’s good for people to know that cow’s milk is not necessary, nor particularly sustainable, says Johansen.

Furthermore, she explains why she believes that cow’s milk is not a sustainable choice.

– Cow’s milk requires a lot of resources. The concentrated feed the cows eat contains soy and palm oil. Plant-based drinks are therefore a more sustainable choice, says Johansen.

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Especially important for pregnant women

Whether you get iodine through cow’s milk or plant-based milk enriched with iodine, there is no doubt that the body needs it.

In the Directorate of Health’s report from 2014, it is stated that iodine plays an important role in regulating the metabolic hormones and energy turnover in the cells, in addition to stimulating the absorption of glucose in the intestine and the breakdown of fat and glycogen.

Sundfør tells Nettavisen that most Norwegians have what is called a “suboptimal intake” of iodine. This is probably because we only have a few sources of iodine in our normal diet.

“Children and adults who do not have milk and fish in their diet currently have no good sources of iodine in their diet in Norway, unless they take nutritional supplements,” says the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s report from 2014.

Most types of table salt are enriched with iodine so that Norwegians should get more of it, but not in particularly large quantities.

– In Sweden, there is much more iodine in the salt. It has been discussed whether that is what should be done in Norway, but then you feel that it is a bit strange to put something we need more of into something we need less of, says Sundfør.

The nutritionist encourages everyone to make sure they get enough iodine, but for one group it is particularly important:

– In pregnant women, iodine plays an important role in the development of the child’s central nervous system. If you do not consume enough iodine during pregnancy, in the worst case, you risk the child getting brain damage, warns Sundfør.

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