Dairy products
Historical aspects
Dairy products have been known for millennia. From the Neolithic Age when man domesticated goats and sheep probably around 9,000 years ago to the eastern Mediterranean areas although no records of dairy consumption exists up until a few thousand years later.
Since then, these products were present in different civilizations. The Egyptian papyrus reflected how milk was obtained from cows, the Sumerians drank goats, sheep and aurochs (ancestor of cows) milk. Greek mythology extols the value of milk and curds, Hippocrates described its medicinal effects. There is evidence that the Romans consumed milk and cheese from sheep, goats and camels.
The evolution of these products over the years can be attributed to the culinary skills of these people, they transmitted the art of making fermented milk from generation to generation.
Nutritional aspects
From a nutritional standpoint, the main value of milk is its richness in calcium, being the best source of this mineral for the body.
Dairy products are essential at any stage of life but their use deserves special attention in stage in which the requirements are higher (childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, lactation, menopause and old age).
The recommended intake depends on the nutritional requirements according to life stage, between 2 to 4 servings a day.
Table of Food Consumption
| Olive Oil | 3-6 servings/day |
| Cereals | 4-6 servings/day |
| Dairy products | 2-4 servings/day |
| Fruits | ≥ 3 servings/day |
| Vegetables | ≥ 2 servings/day |
| Fresh meat | 3-4 servings/week |
| Nuts | 3-7 servings/week |
| Eggs | 3-4 servings/week |
| Legumes | 2-4 servings/week |
| Fish | 3-4 servings/week |
| Wine, cava and others | optional and moderate intake in adults |
| Cured meat and sausages | optional and moderate intake |
| Honey | optional and moderate intake |
