Daily glass of milk saves children from malnutrition —Expert

President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Dr Bartholomew Brai, has called on care-givers, parents and guardians, to include dairy products such as milk in the diet of children.

He said taking a glass of milk everyday can thwart the risk of malnutrition in children between the ages of six months and 15 years.

Speaking during the World Milk Day Celebration established by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and organised by Arla Dano in Lagos, Brai expounded the nutritional value of milk on children physical development and growth. He also emphasised on the strict practice of exclusive breast feeding of new born babies for the first six months of life.

He said, “Milk is a complete meal especially for growing children.

“That is why we emphasise that new born babies should be fed exclusively with breast milk for the first six months of life. This is because breast milk from the mother contains all the nutrients a baby needs including water, protein, carbohydrates and other micro nutrients.

“For older children, milk is very important for their growth because of the rich energy present in milk. We have fat that can be used for energy production and the protein in milk is high quality protein with essential amino acids. Milk also contains calcium and phosphorus, which the body needs for strong bones and teeth. Milk contains vitamins D and B2 needed for blood formation and energy release respectively. Milk is a very rich food.”

Continuing he said, “A nation willing to curb malnutrition must cultivate the habit of drinking milk everyday. A glass of milk everyday can make that significant difference especially in the lives of children between six months and 15.”

Tagged Raise A Glass, Nourish a Child, the 2017 World Milk Day was used by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria in collaboration with Arla Dano to raise awareness for milk-intake and had over 2000 school children in attendance.