The benefits of cow’s milk for children
Doctors emphasize that both cow’s milk and other dairy products constitute a complete and balanced food group for small
Cow’s milk was for decades one of the most valued products for children’s nutrition. However, in recent years many voices have been raised to point out alleged risks and problems derived from its consumption. This article refers to the relationship between cow’s milk and children, what are the benefits of its intake, what quantities are recommended for the different stages of development and whether its intake can be associated with different risks or difficulties.
Cow’s milk and children
Cow ‘s milk provides numerous benefits to children. It is contraindicated during the first 12 months of life, but, after they are one year old, as reported by the Breastfeeding Committee of the Pediatrics (AEP), healthy children can drink cow’s milk without any problem and in this way, take advantage of its nutrients.
Both the AEP and the World Health Organization and other organizations recommend that, if possible, breastfeeding be the exclusive feeding of the baby during its first semester of life and, then, extend it to at least one year. During the second semester, although the little ones still should not drink cow’s milk, they can start eating dairy derivatives and products that include cow’s milk proteins, as long as the allergic risk is low.
Doctors even advise giving children cow’s milk before formulas called growth, junior or type 3 , which companies market as special for this stage. A report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), published in 2013, highlighted that such preparations do not provide any nutrients that children cannot obtain through a healthy and natural diet. It could even have harmful effects, since excessive intakes could occur, as a result of the introduction of some component without due control.
What benefits does cow’s milk have for children?
Milk is one of the main sources of calcium, the most abundant mineral in the human body, essential in the formation of bones and teeth. And not only that. “The consumption of milk and dairy products improves the overall quality of the diet, especially calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A and D, riboflavin and folate,” For this reason, these experts point out that “milk and other dairy products constitute a complete and balanced group of foods “, since -they add- “their proteins (casein and whey proteins) are of high biological value, they provide carbohydrates carbon (lactose), fats and fat-soluble vitamins”.
The AEP details that cow’s milk and its derivatives are not the only possible sources of calcium. Also, fish, egg yolks, vegetables such as spinach and green beans, legumes, cereals and nuts make important contributions in this regard. But few of these foods outperform dairy products, because they offer “a high nutrient content in relation to caloric content,” as Moreno Villares and Galiano Segovia point out. And besides, other foods are generally much more difficult to give to young children than milk.
Among the long-term benefits of cow’s milk consumption, these experts report that it “reduces the risk of osteoporosis, by increasing the acquisition of bone mass during growth, decreasing bone loss with age and reducing osteoporotic fractures.” And, on the other hand, the adequate intake of these products “seems to have a protective effect against the development of arterial hypertension.”
Cow milk in Dealers in Chennai
How much cow’s milk should children drink?
As Moreno Villares and Galiano Segovia describe in their text, published by the Society of Extra-Hospital Pediatrics and Primary Care (SEPEAP), two daily servings of milk and dairy products are recommended during early childhood; between two and three, for children of school age; and between three and four, for adolescents. How much is a daily ration? It is equivalent to between 200 and 250 milliliters (ml) of milk or 125 ml of yogurt or a piece of between 40 and 50 grams of cured cheese.
On the other hand, as reported by the National Library of Medicine of the United States, the cow’s milk recommended between the year and two years of the child’s life is whole, since the fat it contains contributes to the development of the brain. And, from the age of two, “children can drink low-fat or even skimmed milk, if they are overweight,” the document indicates.
The consumption of cow’s milk, does it imply any risk?
In recent years, for reasons not fully known, we have witnessed a smear campaign against cow’s milk, attributing harmful effects to health. Those alleged harmful effects range from allergy to lactose or milk proteins to increased risk of asthma, autism spectrum disorders, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The risk of these allergies has been shown to exist, but experts consider it “unlikely” to find an association between milk consumption and other problems and diseases.
With regard to allergies, there are several recommendations to prevent them, enunciated by the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN), the Pediatric Section of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and other organizations. The most important ones are:
Whenever possible, make breastfeeding the baby’s exclusive diet during the first semester and extend it, at least, until one year of life.
Include dairy products in the mother’s diet during pregnancy and lactation, as well as other products considered allergenic (fish, eggs, etc.), in addition to ensuring that her diet is natural, healthy and balanced.
If a supplement is needed for breastfeeding, resort to formulas adapted from cow’s milk, unless family history determines a high risk of allergy to cow’s milk proteins.
