The Irish Dairy Council (NDC) has warned that teenagers in Ireland have a “worrying shortfall” of nutrient consumption in their diets.
A new study found that teenage participants were lacking a number of important nutrients, with more than half having inadequate intakes of calcium and 94 per cent lacking vitamin D.
Research by the Irish Universities Nutritional Alliance (IUNA) reported on the dietary intake of 438 Irish teenagers aged 13 to 18 years.
Other nutrient inadequacies included vitamin C, ribolflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin A.
The highest contributors of calcium and riboflavin in the diet are milk and yogurt which also contribute to vitamin D, vitamin A and vitamin B6 levels.
Research found the teenagers have a daily intake of just under one serving of milk, mainly as whole milk as a drink or with breakfast cereal.
“We were particularly concerned to see such high levels of inadequate intakes of key bone health nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D,” said Dr Janette Walton, one of the lead researchers of the study.
“Our calcium needs are at their highest between the ages of nine and 18 years as we lay down our bone mass with vitamin D needed to absorb calcium.”
LSL News.