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Many people know that dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt are high in calcium, which is important for building and maintaining strong bones. However calcium is just one benefit of eating dairy. Dairy provides a unique package of over 10 essential nutrients with a wide range of benefits.  Benefits of Nutrients in Dairy.

Eating 3 serves of dairy every day as part of a healthy, balanced diet will provide most people with their average daily requirement for calcium. Calcium is only one of the 10 essential nutrients found in dairy. The attached table shows the approximate number of serves of dairy food needed each day to help ensure you meet your Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) of calcium throughout life, plus a significant amount of many other essential nutrients.  Three Serves table.

Foods such as canned fish eaten with the bones, green leafy vegetables, nuts such as almonds, cereals and legumes also contribute calcium to the diet but in much smaller amounts than dairy foods. Few foods provide as much absorbable calcium per serve as dairy foods. The following table shows the approximate number of portions of a range of different foods that a person would need to consume in order for their body to absorb the same amount of calcium as it would get from one serve of dairy. Sources of Calcium table .

There are a huge range of dairy products available in the dairy case – there is something to suit every lifestyle and taste preference. The following table shows the nutritional analysis of a range of selected dairy products. Nutritional Analysis of Selected Dairy Products table .

Nutrient

Function

Vitamin A

Essential for healthy eye sight
Important for growth (particularly in children)

Vitamin B12

Helps to keep blood healthy
Assists in the formation of nerve cells

Riboflavin

Helps release energy from food
Helps cells to function properly

Calcium

Essential for strong bones and teeth
Needed for normal muscle and nerve functioning, and may assist in controlling blood pressure

Potassium

Assists with blood pressure control
Important for nerve impulse transmission

Magnesium

Important component in bone structure
Essential for energy transfer around the body

Zinc

Aids wound healing
Essential for normal growth and development in bones, the brain and many other parts of the body

Phosphorus

Forms an important part of the mineral structure in bones and teeth
Works with B vitamins to release energy from food

Carbohydrate

Provides energy for the body

Protein

Needed for growth and development as well as repair to damaged body tissues
Forms part of many enzymes and blood components, and is essential for maintaining muscles