Packed with essential nutrients, milk is an integral part of children’s diets and supports their growth. It contains calcium, which is great for the teeth and the bones, and has other health benefits too, among them boosting the immune system, strengthening heart health, and improving the skin, according to experts.

Yet despite these advantages, a study shows milk consumption is low among young Thais, raising concerns over their short stature.

Thai children tend to be on the short side because they drink too little milk, says Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director general of the Department of Health (DoH).

The percentage of “short” Thai teenagers has increased from 9.5% to 10.4% over the past years. And that short stature can be attributed to inadequate milk intake.

Dr Suwannachai was speaking at a special event hosted at the DoH’s office and chaired by him to mark World Milk Day 2023. The aim was to raise awareness about the importance of drinking milk.

World Milk Day, which is celebrated annually on June 1, was initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to promote the value of milk as part of a healthy diet.

According to him, the average height of a 12-year-old boy is just 148.4 centimetres and 149.3 cm for girls. While the average height of a 19-year-old boy is 166.8 cm and 157.8 cm for girls.

The Thai government has promoted drinking milk as a way to increase the average height of young Thais. It has set a goal of raising the average height of Thai teenage boys over the age of 18 to 170 cm and to 165 cm for teenage girls by 2027.

A recent study carried out by the DoH, Unicef Thailand and Suan Dusit Rajabhat University involving children aged 6-19 found that the majority of Thai children drink an average of one glass of milk a day, he added.

Consumption of milk among Thais is generally low, amounting to around 21.5 litres per head each year, compared to 32.8 litres for the Japanese and 60 litres for Indians.

The Thai government aims to increase the average milk consumption of Thai people to 25 litres per person per year by 2027.

Dr Suwannachai stressed that to optimize their health, people should drink two glasses of fresh plain milk every day and eat a variety of foods from all five food groups over the course of three meals in the recommended serving sizes.

“Additionally, teenagers should exercise at least 60 minutes each day, and engage in outdoor activities to boost vitamin D levels, which help absorb the calcium in milk they drink. Getting enough good sleep is also a must. All of these things should help them grow and develop properly according to the standard for their age and that includes their height.” he said.

Milk is great for all

Assoc Prof Prapaisri Sirichakwal, advisor to Mahidol University’s Institute of Nutrition, noted that milk is not only rich in protein but also a good source of vitamins and minerals including vitamin B2 and calcium.

“Milk is healthy at any age. It’s one of the most calcium-rich foods we can take. And milk proteins are considered to be of good quality,” she said, adding that drinking milk assists a child’s growth and is also good for seniors as it helps maintain bone strength and prevent osteoporosis.

According to her, one serving or glass of (cow)’s milk (about 250 millilitres) can give people about 17-22% of their recommended daily intake. It’s packed with about 7-8 grams of protein.

Milk is also an excellent source of vitamin B2, which supports the normal functioning of the nervous system and energy metabolism. A serving of milk provides about 25-30% of the daily value, Prapaisri said.

A glass of whole milk has a fat content of about 8-9 grams (about 12% of the daily value), according to her.

“If you worry about the fat content in full-fat milk, opt for skimmed milk instead,” Prapaisri said.

However, cow’s milk is not for everyone. Some people are sensitive to lactose, the sugar found in milk, Prapaisri noted.

The nutritionist explained that people who are lactose intolerant are unable to fully digest the sugar as their bodies don’t produce enough lactase, the enzyme needed to break down lactose. So, the undigested lactose stays in the gut and is later broken down by bacteria, causing digestive problems such as abdominal pain, gases, bloating and diarrhoea.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance can be unpleasant but are manageable by changing your diet, she noted.

“You don’t need to completely give up cow’s milk if you are lactose intolerant as it’s a good source of nutrients, including calcium. Try not to take too much milk at once but just a little at a time. Many people with lactose intolerance can handle a small amount of milk,” Prapaisri said.

Another trick is having cow’s milk with other food, she added.

“In an afternoon break, for example, you may have a Chinese bun or a sandwich with milk. You may find fewer symptoms when taking it with food,” she said.

Some infants and children, however, are allergic to protein in cow’s milk, she noted. They may develop such symptoms as swelling of the lips, rashes, vomiting, diarrhoea, wheezing and difficulty breathing.

Lactose intolerance is not the same thing as having an allergy to milk, she stressed. The first is a disorder of the digestive system;  the latter is a disorder of the immune system.

The two conditions can make digesting cow’s milk difficult, she said.

For people who go for plant-based milk alternatives to substitute for cow’s milk, Prapaisri suggested looking into the differences in the nutritional content of the product carefully when comparing them to dairy milk.

“Plant-based milk products can be low in calcium and other nutrients that are usually found in cow’s milk. So, you have to look at the labels to see if they are fortified,” she said adding that many plant-based milk alternatives don’t have the same amount of nutrients as cow’s milk.

She also suggested avoiding diets that are high in sugar, fat and salt as they increase the risk of health problems. Excessive sodium intake can cause calcium losses.

“Consuming too much salty foods can deplete calcium in the body,” Prapraisri said, adding that when sodium intake is too high, the body flushes it out via the urine and the calcium goes with it.

By Thai PBS World Feature Desk