Is milk good for children? Cow's milk in baby food: good or bad? Portion size matters

Controversy about the benefits and harms of milk have not subsided for many years. Most experts are still inclined to believe that milk is a very healthy product and can cause harm only in special cases related to physiological characteristics. individual. Regular consumption of milk can protect the body from many diseases, including cancer.

Benefits of cow's milk

One of the most important properties of cow's milk is the presence of vitamin B12 in its composition. He has great importance for work nervous system and hematopoietic processes, promotes growth and reduces cholesterol levels, and participates in metabolism. The human body also uses it to synthesize DNA and amino acids.

The large amount of calcium in milk causes it important role in the formation and strengthening of bone tissue. Vitamin D present here improves the absorption of calcium and promotes its deposition in bones and dentin. Thus, drinking cow's milk effectively prevents the development of rickets and osteoporosis.

Especially important regular use cow's milk in childhood. It is in early and transitional age that the strength of the skeleton is laid and maximum bone mass accumulates, which will determine the predisposition to fractures throughout life.

A direct relationship has been proven between the intake of calcium from milk and its deposition in the skeletal system of adolescents, and the inverse relationship with the incidence of fractures.

IN early age Cow's milk, as a rule, is well absorbed, promotes growth and development, strengthens the immune system, improves memory and mood.

The ability to digest milk decreases with age, but completely eliminating traditional foods from an older person's diet can be detrimental to their health. In this case, it is recommended to consume milk diluted or skimmed.

Milk is a product that is traditionally prescribed for the rehabilitation of people employed in hazardous industries, and is also used in medicinal, dietary and baby food.

It helps with anemia, kidney disease, disorders of the nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and tuberculosis. Milk with honey is a widely known drink that relieves stress and makes it easier to fall asleep.

The complex beneficial effect of milk on the cardiovascular system is ensured by its high potassium content and the ability to slightly lower blood pressure.

Linoleic acid in its composition eliminates excess weight, which also facilitates the work of the heart. The antitumor activity of milk has also been confirmed, as well as its ability to increase life expectancy.

The main protein in cow's milk, casein, is the strongest allergen. When incompletely digested, it is able to enter the blood and act as an antigen, causing a powerful immune response. The result of such a shake-up can be not only the development of intolerance to all dairy products, but also type I diabetes.

People prone to allergies should exercise caution when consuming cow's milk and may benefit from asking your doctor for advice regarding your diet. The presence of a pathological reaction to it means the complete exclusion of all dairy products from the diet.

The milk sugar, lactose, is rarely fully processed in the adult body. Lactase deficiency can develop to varying degrees: it may not cause any discomfort or lead to complete intolerance to dairy products. It most often manifests itself in the form of the following symptoms:

• diarrhea, loose stools;
• nausea, vomiting;
• flatulence, bloating;
• cramps and pain in the stomach;
• heartburn.

Cow's milk also harms the body if galactose metabolism is impaired. This substance is formed during the breakdown of milk sugar along with glucose and can become a serious risk factor for the development of cataracts and arthritis. Galactosemia is a hereditary disease and requires complete exclusion of milk from the diet.

Usually, first of all, it is customary to pay attention to the naturalness and safety of food, which, of course, will be true in relation to cow's milk.

The ideal option is to purchase it from a private farmstead from neat and clean owners, whose cow is regularly examined by a veterinarian. This is the only way to find whole milk, the product industrial production It is a normal drinking drink; the content of proteins and fats in it is artificially regulated.

You should choose milk that has had as little contact with air as possible, because in this case the milk fats are partially oxidized. To obtain information on this matter, it is permissible to ask the farmer a little about how milking occurs on his farm; it will also be useful to find out his method (machine or manual).

The freshness of the product is of great importance: fresh whole milk contains a maximum of beneficial nutrients and lysozyme, which inhibits the development of putrefactive microorganisms. After 2 hours it loses its activity, so raw milk must be boiled or pasteurized. The easiest way to perform instant pasteurization is to heat the drink to almost 90°C and immediately turn off the stove.

Pasteurization almost does not change the taste of milk, but it destroys pathogens of dangerous diseases, including tuberculosis and brucellosis.

Heat-resistant lactic acid microorganisms do not die, and beneficial nutrients are also preserved. Pasteurized milk can turn sour, so it remains quite suitable for making yogurt, cottage cheese or cheese.

Processing milk under the influence of high temperatures almost completely destroys pathogenic microflora and bacterial spores, but also causes physical and chemical changes in the composition.

Among these methods, the most popular are boiling, sterilization and ultra-pasteurization. They destroy lactic acid bacteria, which prevent the appearance of toxic compounds, and milk fats, depriving the product of most of its beneficial properties.

Any heat treatment reduces the acidity of the drink, frees it from gases dissolved in it and increases shelf life. Of the types of milk available for purchase in the store, it is preferable to choose pasteurized milk, as it will bring more benefits to the human body than others. The shelf life of such milk is short, up to 7-14 days, depending on the packaging method.

Storing cow's milk

The shelf life of milk depends on how it is processed, packaging and temperature. Raw milk is stored at 1-2°C for two days, at 3-4°C for about a day and a half, at 4-6°C for a day, at 6-8°C for 18 hours, and at 8-10°C for only 12 hours. .

Useful tips for storing milk:

1. At the store, it is better to put milk last in the grocery cart to avoid it being kept warm for a long time. When you return home, you should immediately place it in the refrigerator.
2. In the refrigerator, it is optimal to store milk at a temperature of 0-4°C, do not use the door for this.
3. Opened milk can be consumed within 3 days, kept closed and separated from foods with a strong odor.
4. To store milk, it is better to use the original packaging, glass or ceramic containers.
5. Avoid exposing the product to light as it destroys riboflavin and vitamin D.
6. Freezing milk allows you to preserve its nutritional and taste properties for a long time; you need to defrost such milk in the refrigerator.

Cow's milk is an independent food product. In order for it to be absorbed better, you need to drink it on an empty stomach, without mixing with other food, in small sips and with a slight linger in the mouth.

Do not take cold milk: low temperature complicates the digestion process. After a glass of milk, it is useful to refrain from eating for some time (1-1.5 hours).

It is acceptable to consume milk with some types of fruits, berries and vegetables. It softens the effects of caffeine, so it is useful to add it a little to tea or coffee. Milk also goes well with cottage cheese.

Composition of the product

The composition of cow's milk is rich and varied, it includes proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, mineral salts, vitamins and hormones.

A complete set of amino acids completely covers the needs of the human body, and milk fat is one of the most nutritious and healthy. The energy value of raw whole milk is low - only 65 kcal, so dairy diets are widespread and effective.

What kind of milk is good for children to drink?

Despite the obvious benefits of milk for children, the choice of milk drink also plays an important role.

Fresh milk is completely unsuitable for baby food. It is “rich” not only in microelements, but also in pathogenic bacteria (from E. coli to listeria and tick-borne encephalitis). Regular boiling removes harmful microorganisms from the product, but also depreciates it by destroying beneficial substances.

The pasteurization and homogenization that store-bought milk undergoes purifies the drink while preserving its nutritional value. However, even such “adult” milk is not suitable for children over two years old. For example, a high fat content threatens a baby with obesity, especially if he has a genetic predisposition. Also, along with milk, antibiotics that were fed to cows can enter the child’s body.

Dairy products labeled “For Children” have a more stringent quality system for the selection of raw materials and production. Parents can be sure that there will be no harmful substances in a "children's" drink. But even such labeling does not guarantee the optimal content of microelements and vitamins necessary for the development of a child.

What are the benefits of cow's or goat's milk?

Milk - liquid white, which is secreted by female mammals when they feed their babies. For centuries, residents European countries they raised cows, goats and sheep, drank their milk and made cheese.

Enough research has been conducted recently, and the question of why milk is beneficial can be clearly answered.

Goat's milk successfully competes with cow's milk. It is used in infant formula, tasty and healthy cheese is made from it, and it has been used to treat rickets and tuberculosis. Many people in villages around the world grew up on goat milk.

Now cases of allergies to cow's milk are forcing people to look for an alternative, and they are increasingly turning to goat's milk.

• It is tasty if the goat is fed properly and kept clean.
• Easier to digest than cow's milk. The fat globules of this milk are smaller than those of cow's milk; in addition, while cow's milk contains about 10% curd, goat's milk contains only 2%. In the human stomach, it forms thin curd flakes, which allows it to be digested faster.
• This milk itself is homogenized - unlike cow's milk, in which the homogenization effect is achieved through special processing.
• Freshly milked, only from goats, milk has an antibacterial effect - it does not spoil without any processing. room temperature about two days.
• This good remedy for the prevention of stomach ulcers.
• In some countries, it is used to treat tuberculosis - goats are immune to this disease, they do not get it themselves, and their milk can treat it.
• A large list of vitamins in its composition: vitamin A, PP, A (RE), B 1 (thiamine), B 2 (riboflavin), B 5, B 6 (pyridoxine), B 9 ( folic acid), AT 12 . It also contains vitamins C, D, E, H, PP (niacin equivalent).
• Important micro- and macroelements are present, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, chlorine, copper, iron, iodine and others.

What are the benefits of goat milk besides this? There is one more, main advantage: there is no alpha-1s-casein protein in goat milk, so those who suffer from food allergies can drink it. And, surprisingly, many people who are lactose intolerant (thus unable to digest cow's milk) can drink goat's milk without problems.

Cow's milk

Compared to goat's milk, 100 g of fresh cow's milk contains 3.2 g of protein, 4 g of fat and 5 g of carbohydrates. Goat - 3 g of protein, 4.2 g of fat and 4.5 g of carbohydrates. At first glance, the difference is small. Here are the benefits of cow's milk:

• Fresh, just milked milk, like goat’s milk, contains bactericidal substances - enzymes, leukocytes, immunoglobulins and others. When boiling, these enzymes with leukocytes and some vitamins are destroyed, and as a result, less healthy remains in boiled milk.
• Cow's milk contains calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine, copper, fluorine and other elements that are necessary for the human body.
• There are also about twenty amino acids, eight of which are essential, that is, the human body cannot synthesize them itself and must receive them from the outside.
• This milk also contains vitamins A, B, E, C, B1, B2, B9, PP, which are necessary for the proper functioning of various processes in the body. Vitamin deficiency, as well as their excess, causes various diseases and disorders.

The cow is one of the most popular domestic animals; it can produce up to 40 liters of milk per day. This milk is pasteurized, sterilized, cheese and cottage cheese are made from it, and fat content and taste are adjusted with the help of flavoring additives.

It is enriched with vitamins and microelements, homogenized and corrected appearance. How is milk useful after all these manipulations?

All milk processing methods affect the composition of the product, and the result is not only a different composition. Both taste and smell change, and people who tried fresh homemade milk, they feel this difference perfectly.

Even simple boiling significantly reduces the amount of vitamins, completely destroys the bactericidal properties of milk and changes its taste.

Boiling is recommended as an excellent remedy for germs - you get rid of them, but retain the beneficial substances. After all, bacteria can cause one disease or another, reducing to zero all the benefits of milk. And in fact?

Natural vitamins against bacteria

There are vitamins that are preserved even after boiling, and there are those that are destroyed completely or partially. Below are the vitamins that boiling affects:

• vitamin C, it does not withstand heat, and even short boiling deprives the product of part of this necessary element;
• vitamin B 1;
• folic acid;
• carotene;
• vitamin A.

Both cow and goat products lose some of the benefits of milk when it is thermally processed. Enrichment with vitamins, which some manufacturers do, does not save the situation - there have already been reports from doctors that artificial vitamins are absorbed worse than natural ones, or even not absorbed at all.

As for microbes, many of them die at high temperatures - including lactic acid bacteria that are beneficial to humans. However, not all. Pasteurization is the same: it destroys up to 90% of the microbes contained in milk. But the most persistent remain.

Baked milk as an alternative for those suffering from lactose intolerance

Scientists at the Jaffa Institute of Food Allergies studied a group of children aged 2 to 17 years to understand the benefits of baked milk at this age. It is known that many of those who are allergic to “regular” milk can consume products based on baked milk and drink it in its pure form.

This is explained by the fact that allergies occur on different types proteins - some of them are destroyed during cooking, and they are not present in baked milk. The children who participated in this experiment were given different dairy products for 5 years, starting with products based on baked milk, and gradually moving to products based on regular milk.

As a result, 47% of children were able to eat regular yoghurts, ice cream, and the like. Naturally, we started this experiment with those children who were not allergic to baked milk.

What are the benefits of baked milk?

What's good about oven-baked milk for those who don't have allergy problems? Unfortunately, the amount of vitamin C and B1 in it is much less than even in pasteurized, but it contains a lot of potassium, calcium, iron, vitamins A and E, magnesium, phosphorus, organic acids - almost everything that is in fresh, but... the ratio of elements is completely different.

How is milk beneficial for women who are expecting a baby? It is especially important for pregnant women and nursing mothers to eat well so that the body can supply the child with everything it needs without suffering.

Baked milk will also help with this. In fact this delicious product It is useful for everyone - children, adults, and older people: after all, calcium and other elements from it are needed by the body of every person.

Which milk is best to give to a baby?

Whichever good composition did not have products from pets, and no matter how wonderfully they all influence the body, none meets all the needs of a newborn. Doctors do not recommend giving milk to children under three years of age.

Infant formula is expensive, and the better and higher quality the product, the more expensive it is. And even the most expensive and high-quality ones are not ideal - simply because no one has yet been able to accurately replicate the composition of breast milk.

All adults and children, with rare exceptions, know the common and cheerful saying - “Drink milk, children, you will be healthy!”... However, nowadays, thanks to many scientific studies, the positive overtones of this statement have faded significantly - it turns out that not all adults And milk is really good for children. Moreover, in some cases, milk is not only not healthy, but also dangerous to health! So can children have milk or not?

Dozens of generations have grown up in the belief that animal milk is one of the “cornerstones” of human nutrition, in other words, one of the most important and healthy products in the diet of not only adults, but also children almost from birth. However, in our time, many black spots have appeared on the white reputation of milk...

Can children have milk? Age matters!

It turns out that each human age has its own special relationship with cow’s milk (and by the way, not only cow’s milk, but also goat’s, sheep’s, camel’s, etc.). And these relationships are regulated primarily by the ability of our digestive system to efficiently digest this very milk.

The bottom line is that milk contains a special milk sugar - lactose (in the precise language of scientists, lactose is a carbohydrate of the disaccharide group). To break down lactose, a person needs a sufficient amount of a special enzyme - lactase.

When a baby is born, the production of the lactase enzyme in his body is extremely high - thus nature “thought out” so that the child could receive maximum benefits and nutrients from your mother's breast milk.

But with age, the activity of production of the lactase enzyme in the human body greatly decreases (by the age of 10-15, in some adolescents it practically disappears).

This is why modern medicine does not encourage the consumption of milk (not fermented milk products, but the milk itself!) by adults. Nowadays, doctors agree that drinking milk does more harm to human health than good...

And here a reasonable question arises: if in a newborn baby and an infant up to one year old, the production of the lactase enzyme is maximum for his entire future life, does this mean that it is healthier for babies, if it is impossible, to feed “live” cow’s milk rather than from a can?

It turns out - no! Drinking cow's milk is not only not good for the health of young children, but moreover, it is fraught with a lot of dangers. Which ones?

Is milk allowed for children under one year of age?

Fortunately or unfortunately, in the minds of a large number of adults (especially those who live in rural areas) V last years There is a stereotype that if a young mother does not have her own milk, the baby can and should be fed not with formula from a can, but with diluted village cow or goat milk. Like, it’s more economical, and “closer” to nature, and it’s healthier for the growth and development of a child - after all, this is how people have acted since time immemorial!..

But in fact, the consumption of milk from farm animals by infants (that is, children under one year old) carries a huge risk for children's health!

For example, one of the main problems of using cow's milk (or goat, mare, reindeer - it doesn't matter) in the nutrition of children in the first year of life - in almost 100% of cases.

How does this happen? The fact is that rickets, as is widely known, occurs against the background of a systematic lack of vitamin D. But even if the baby is, in fact, given additionally this invaluable vitamin D from birth, but at the same time feed him cow’s milk (which, by the way, itself is a generous source of vitamin D), then any efforts to prevent rickets will be in vain - the phosphorus contained in milk, alas, will become the culprit of constant and total loss of calcium and that same vitamin D.

The table below of the composition of human breast milk and cow's milk clearly illustrates which of them is the undisputed champion in calcium and phosphorus content.

If a baby consumes cow's milk under one year of age, he receives almost 5 times more calcium than he needs, and phosphorus - almost 7 times more than normal. And if excess calcium is eliminated from the baby’s body without problems, then in order to remove significant excess phosphorus, the kidneys have to use both calcium and vitamin D. Thus, the more milk the baby consumes, the more acute the deficiency of vitamin D and calcium his body experiences.

So it turns out: if a child eats cow's milk for up to one year (even as complementary foods), he does not receive the calcium he needs, but on the contrary, he loses it constantly and in large quantities.

And along with calcium, it also loses invaluable vitamin D, against the background of which deficiency the baby inevitably develops rickets. As for infant formulas, all of them, without exception, are deliberately removed from all excess phosphorus - they are, by definition, healthier for feeding infants than whole cow's (or goat's) milk.

And only when children outgrow the age of 1 year, only then do their kidneys mature so much that they are able to remove excess phosphorus without depriving the body of the calcium and vitamin D it needs. And, accordingly, cow’s milk (as well as goat’s and any other milk of animal origin) From harmful products in the children's menu it turns into a useful and important product.

The second serious problem that arises when feeding infants with cow's milk is. As can be seen from the table, the iron content in women's breast milk is slightly higher than in cow's milk. But even the iron that is still present in the milk of cows, goats, sheep and other farm animals is not absorbed by the child’s body at all - therefore, the development of anemia when fed with cow’s milk is almost guaranteed.

Milk in the diet of children after one year

However, the taboo on drinking milk in a child’s life is a temporary phenomenon. Already when the baby passes the one-year mark, his kidneys become a fully formed and mature organ, electrolyte metabolism is normalized and excess phosphorus in milk no longer becomes so scary for him.

And starting from the age of one year, it is quite possible to introduce whole cow’s or goat’s milk into a child’s diet. And if in the period from 1 to 3 years its quantity should be regulated - the daily norm fits into approximately 2-4 glasses of whole milk - then after 3 years the child is free to drink as much milk per day as he wants.

Strictly speaking, whole cow's milk is not vital for children and must-have product nutrition - the child can get all the benefits it contains from other products.

Therefore, doctors insist that drinking milk is determined only by the baby’s preferences: if he loves milk, and if he does not experience any discomfort after drinking it, then let him drink for his health! And if he doesn’t love you, or worse than that- feels bad from milk, then your first parental concern is to convince your grandmother that children can grow up healthy, strong and happy even without milk...

So, let’s briefly repeat which children can enjoy milk completely uncontrollably, which should drink it under the supervision of their parents, and which should be completely deprived of this product in their diet:

• Children from 0 to 1 year: milk is dangerous to their health and is not recommended even in small quantities (since the risk of developing rickets and anemia is extremely high);
• Children from 1 to 3 years: milk can be included in the children's menu, but it is better to give it to the child in limited quantities (2-3 glasses per day);
• Children from 3 years to 13 years: at this age, milk can be consumed according to the principle “as much as he wants, let him drink as much”;
• Children over 13 years old: after 12-13 years in the human body, the production of the lactase enzyme begins to gradually fade away, and therefore modern doctors insist on extremely moderate consumption of whole milk and the transition to exclusively fermented milk products, in which the fermentation processes have already “worked” to break down milk sugar.

Modern doctors believe that after the age of 15, in approximately 65% ​​of the world's inhabitants, the production of the enzyme that breaks down milk sugar decreases to negligible levels. Which could potentially cause all sorts of problems and diseases in the gastrointestinal tract. This is why drinking whole milk during adolescence (and then into adulthood) is considered undesirable from the point of view of modern medicine.

Useful facts about milk for children and more

In conclusion, here are a few little-known facts regarding cow's milk and its consumption, especially by children:

1. When boiled, milk retains all proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as calcium, phosphorus and other minerals. However, harmful bacteria are killed and vitamins are destroyed (which, to be fair, have never been the main benefit of milk). So if you doubt the origin of milk (especially if you bought it at the market, in the “private sector”, etc.), be sure to boil it before giving it to your child.
2. It is advisable not to give a child aged 1 to 4-5 years milk whose fat content exceeds 3%.
3. Physiologically, the human body can easily live its entire life without whole milk, while maintaining both health and activity. In other words, there are no substances in animal milk that are essential for humans.
4. If, then immediately after recovery, milk should be completely excluded from his diet for about 2-3 weeks. The fact is that for some time the rotavirus in the human body “turns off” the production of the lactose enzyme - the same one that breaks down milk sugar lactase. In other words, if a child after suffering from rotavirus is fed dairy products (including breast milk!), this is guaranteed to add several digestive ailments to him in the form of indigestion, abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, etc.
5. Several years ago, one of the most respected medical research centers in the world - Harvard Medical School - officially excluded whole milk of animal origin from the list of products beneficial to human health. Studies have accumulated confirming that regular and excessive consumption of milk has a positive effect on the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, as well as the occurrence of diabetes and even cancer. However, even doctors from the prestigious Harvard School explained that moderate and periodic consumption of milk is completely acceptable and safe. The point is precisely that milk has long been mistakenly considered one of the most important products for human life, health and longevity, but today it has lost this privileged status, as well as its place in daily diet adults and children.

Traditionally, milk is considered a healthy product, rich in nutrients. Following the advice of the older generation, many parents try to give it to their babies as early as possible or even replace breastfeeding. But pediatricians around the world warn that milk is absolutely unsuitable for feeding young children.

Milk for children: can infants and at what age be introduced into their diet?

If several decades ago milk was recommended to be given to children as the main product of complementary feeding, and in some cases as a complete alternative to breastfeeding, today the opinion of pediatricians has changed dramatically. Experts from the World Health Organization warn parents that animal milk should absolutely not be given to children in their first year of life.

The best option for feeding a baby is the mother's breast. This food contains all the vitamins and substances necessary for full development, and is also completely absorbed by the baby’s gastrointestinal tract. If for some reason a woman cannot breastfeed her baby, doctors recommend switching to an adapted infant formula made from cow's or goat's milk.

When making adapted formulas, excess calcium and phosphorus are removed from milk to relieve the load on the kidneys. Protein molecules that have enough big size, are crushed for better absorption by the child’s enzyme system.

Doctors note that it is impossible to completely abandon the consumption of dairy products: infants are introduced to the diet of kefir, cottage cheese and yogurt.

There is no benefit to introducing cow's or goat's milk into the diet of children under twelve months of age. And its negative impact on the body can lead to serious health complications in the future.

When can a child be given cow's milk - video

After a year, you can introduce special baby milk into your baby’s diet, which has undergone the necessary processing, has quality certificates, and most importantly, is intended for children of this particular age. But even if the child assimilates the product well, feeding it to the baby in unlimited quantities is strictly prohibited. Pediatric gastroenterologists recommend using whole milk only in cereals, and giving preference to kefir or yogurt as a drink.

Whole milk can be introduced into the diet in the fourth year of life, but only if it has been previously boiled or pasteurized.

How much milk per day can be given to children at different ages - table

Goat milk protein almost never causes an allergic reaction in babies. But its high fat content (much higher than cow's) does not provide for a large amount of consumption of this drink.

The body of a newborn produces special enzymes that can quickly break down milk protein(including breast milk protein). However, as the baby grows older and begins to eat solid food, their number decreases. And a child who drank a fairly large volume of milk at 4–6 years old will no longer be able to do this at 11 years old: it will be difficult for the digestive system to cope with such an amount of protein. This situation is considered normal and does not require treatment.

Is it possible to give children a store-bought product?

Despite the fact that store-bought milk is pasteurized, it is not adapted for an immature digestive system.

• That is why it should not be given to children under three years of age. A special baby drink is suitable for babies:
• it uses milk of the highest quality;
• it undergoes an ultra-pasteurization procedure, during which pathogenic bacteria are destroyed;
• The fat content of such milk corresponds to the child’s body’s ability to absorb it;

the risk of allergic reactions is minimized.

Baby milk from different manufacturers - photo gallery
The manufacturer recommends giving this milk to children from 8 months, but on the recommendation of pediatricians it is better to do this after the first birthday (as part of cereals)

The package with Agusha baby milk is marked “from 8 months”, although according to the recommendations of pediatricians at this age it is too early to introduce it. The box indicates that Tyoma baby milk can be given to children starting from 8 months, but at this time the baby’s digestive tract is not yet ready for such a product Bellakt baby milk, despite the manufacturer’s recommendation, should not be introduced into the diet before a year

Benefits and harms

Dairy products are essential in a child’s diet: they contain a large supply of vitamins and nutrients that are necessary for a growing body. However, early introduction of this drink into the menu, as well as consumption of it in large quantities, can lead to a negative reaction from the body.

The whole truth about cow's milk: the opinion of Dr. Komarovsky - video

Cow's milk contains many times more calcium and phosphorus than breast milk. But due to the immaturity of the child’s body, the metabolism of these substances is disrupted: phosphorus, not being fully absorbed, removes calcium. It turns out that the more cow's milk a child drinks, the less mineral necessary for the growth and strengthening of bones gets to him.

Dr. Komarovsky believes that after three years there is no need to limit the amount of milk (if the child is healthy, active and does not have digestive disorders). Under the same conditions, its fat content does not matter.

When milk is boiled, the vitamins contained in it are destroyed. Nevertheless, it does not cease to be useful: it is a source of calcium, phosphorus and protein.

Cow's milk is more popular, although doctors insist that goat's milk is considered hypoallergenic and healthier. However, this product has a very specific smell and taste, so most children simply do not like it. If the baby does not have an allergy to cow's milk protein or digestive problems, parents can be calm and continue to give it.

The benefits and harms of cow's milk - table

If your baby is allergic to cow's milk, doctors recommend replacing it with goat's milk. The protein of this product practically does not cause allergies (exceptions include children with individual sensitivity to lactose). For children under three years of age, there are specially developed formulas based on goat's milk. According to experts, they are considered more useful and safer.

The benefits and harms of goat milk - table

What are the benefits of goat milk - video

Where to begin

Doctors recommend introducing goat's milk first into the diet. If the baby doesn’t like it, you should never force him to drink it - it’s better to try cow’s milk. After one year of age, milk is introduced to children starting with one teaspoon. In this case, it must be diluted with water (1 part milk and 2 parts water). During the day, it is important to monitor the child’s reaction: if the baby’s stomach does not bother him, his stool is normal, and there are no manifestations of allergies on the body, you can continue. The next time it is diluted in a 1:1 ratio. If the body accepts the new product well, milk can then be given undiluted.

The amount of milk is gradually increased, but you should not let your child drink more than the recommended portion. Doctors warn that the smaller the baby, the higher the load on the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Preference should be given to low-fat products (2.5–3.2%). If parents have chosen whole cow's or goat's milk, it should not be consumed unboiled.

How to choose the right one

Some mothers prefer natural whole milk, which is sold on farms, while others consider the pasteurized product to be better. Pediatricians and pediatric gastroenterologists agree that store-bought milk is more suitable: it is specially adapted for a small organism. When choosing such a drink, it is recommended to pay attention to the following nuances:

• manufacturer (better if he is well known);
• expiration date (in a quality product it does not exceed ten days, and expired milk should never be given to a baby);
• composition (without preservatives, dyes and other unsafe substances. If there is no information on the composition at all on the packaging, it is better not to buy such a product);
• age note;
• fat content (it should not be higher than 3.2%, but a low-fat product is also not suitable for baby food);
• enriched composition (some manufacturers add vitamins and microelements to milk that are necessary for a child at a certain age. This product is very useful for children).

You cannot buy whole milk on the market that does not have safety and quality certificates. Fresh produce may contain bacteria that can cause Negative influence on the child's body. In case of non-compliance temperature regime milk can lead to food poisoning.

After opening the package, you must strictly follow the recommendations for time and place of storage of the product, which are specified by the manufacturer.

Use of milk as medicine

Milk is not only a nutritious product that is good for children, but also an effective remedy for the treatment of certain diseases.

Homemade cough milk recipes

Milk envelops the mucous membrane of the larynx, relieves inflammation, thins mucus and promotes its removal. In combination with certain products (honey, onion, banana), it is a useful home remedy.

With honey and propolis tincture

If the child more than three years old, you can prepare a healthy mixture for him: heat 200 ml of milk, add 1 teaspoon of honey (if there is no allergy), mix thoroughly. It is recommended to drink this drink warm before going to bed at night.

For children over 5 years old, a cough remedy can be prepared with the addition of propolis - no more than 1-2 drops of 20% water tincture per 200 ml of milk. Also take at night warm.

Honey is not added to hot milk - in this case, all its beneficial properties disappear.

With mineral water

For this recipe, it is better to use salted water, for example, “Borjomi” or “Essentuki”: 100 ml of milk needs to be heated to warm temperature, add 100 ml of mineral water to it. Mix the resulting product thoroughly and drink before meals three times a day. This recipe is suitable for children after three years of age, since carbonated water and mineral composition not intended for younger ages.

With onion

The milk and onion recipe is very effective for dry coughs, but children often do not want to drink this mixture because of the smell and specific taste. Therefore, this combination can be offered to a child over five years old (but you should not force him to drink). To prepare, peel the onion and cut it into rings, place it in a container and pour in 500 ml of milk, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes. The finished drink is stored in the refrigerator, and should be taken warm before meals, one teaspoon 5-6 times a day.

With banana

Children usually drink milk with banana, unlike the recipe with onions, with pleasure. In addition, this sweet fruit is low allergenic. For 200 ml of milk you need one chopped fruit. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and given to the child warm, dividing the cocktail into three servings. For children over three years old, you can add sugar, honey or 1 teaspoon of cocoa.

Sage and soda

Need to know what's popular folk recipes with sage or soda are not suitable for treating children. Sage has a large number of contraindications. It is strictly forbidden to give it to children under 5 years of age, as well as to those with kidney problems and thyroid gland, individual intolerance. Baking soda has a negative effect on the gastric mucosa.

Milk with oats for asthma

If a child suffers from this respiratory disease, you can prepare a milk-based remedy with the addition of oats. This cereal plant contains a large amount of vitamins and nutrients, and also has good effect for asthma. For 250 g of oats you need to take 1 liter of milk. The resulting mixture is kept in a water bath for about three hours, after which the drink must be strained. This milk is drunk warm half an hour before meals. The decoction is taken three times a day, and the portion is calculated depending on the age of the child.

To combat worms: milk with garlic and enema

Individual reaction

Every body, and especially children’s, reacts differently to new products. Sometimes milk can cause negative reactions.

Indigestion and constipation

Children often suffer from problems with the digestive system, one of the manifestations of which is constipation: the child cannot go to the toilet and experiences pain in the intestines. Milk can harden the stomach and cause delayed bowel movements. This effect occurs more often in children younger age, since their enzyme system cannot digest protein. Because of this, it envelops the mucous membrane with a dense layer and prevents the absorption of vitamins and nutrients. This process, in turn, reduces peristalsis. At an older age, when the child’s gastrointestinal tract is ready to drink milk, constipation may occur due to the large amount of product drunk.

Even goat's milk, which is much easier for the body to digest, can cause constipation.

To eliminate this delicate problem, you first need to completely remove milk from the child’s diet. More needs to be added to the menu. fresh vegetables and fruits, as they are rich in fiber. If such a diet does not help, you will need to use medications recommended by your doctor.

Poisoning

Children, whose bodies are sensitive to pathogenic microbes entering the gastrointestinal tract, are more susceptible to poisoning. Often such violations occur when parents buy milk at the market or other places where there is no guarantee of product quality. Failure to comply with hygiene measures during milking and improper storage are most often the cause of malfunction of the digestive system.

You can also get poisoned from store-bought products, although much less frequently.

• In children, symptoms of poisoning appear as follows:
• pain and spasms in the stomach and intestines;
• diarrhea and frequent urge to defecation;
• temperature increase.

At the first symptoms of poisoning, you should call ambulance: the child’s body quickly becomes dehydrated, and intoxication is very dangerous for babies. Treatment is aimed at restoring water and electrolyte balance, destroying pathogenic bacteria and removing toxins.

Allergy

The most common problem parents face when introducing milk is protein allergy. It may manifest itself as follows:

• skin rashes (urticaria, dermatitis, diathesis);
• Quincke's edema (local edema of the mucous membranes and subcutaneous fatty tissue, occurring suddenly and rapidly developing);
• severe vomiting;
• frequent regurgitation in infants;
• diarrhea;
• stomach pain, colic in infants;
• rhinitis and cough;
• bronchial asthma (milk cannot cause the disease, but with a genetic predisposition allergic reaction this product becomes a trigger).

Pediatricians also recommend paying attention to the presence of lactose intolerance in parents. If it is present, it is impossible to offer milk to a child under three years of age, since individual sensitivity can be inherited. This also applies to children whose mother or father suffers diabetes mellitus. Introducing milk at an early age can trigger the development of this disease.

It would seem, what questions may arise about the introduction of cow's milk into the diet of children?

Milk is a product that they are accustomed to receiving from birth, what other difficulties are there? In fact, there are many difficulties.

Let's take a closer look at what age you can give your child cow's milk and fermented milk products, and how to treat “baby” curds, yoghurts, and milk?

Milk: good or bad?

Milk for children is not always an unchangeable benefit, as we are accustomed to believe, believing the admonitions of our grandmothers, they say, it contains strength and health.

First of all, let's learn one simple rule: mother's milk is intended for feeding the young of a given species: women's milk for children, cow's milk for calves, goat's milk for kids. Different types milk has a different composition from ours, adapted by nature, just for specific babies.

Therefore, complementary foods such as cow's milk for children under one year of age increasingly cause allergies and more and more pediatricians are inclined to introduce it later into the child's diet.

• Cow's milk contains much more protein than human milk. And this is an additional burden on small kidneys and gastrointestinal organs;
• And keep in mind that most of this protein is casein, which is quite difficult for a child to digest;
• Complementary feeding in the form of cow's milk can cause diarrhea, regurgitation, bloating, because its fats are very different from the polyunsaturated fats of human milk, which are needed for proper development brain and entire nervous system of the child;
• Cow's milk contains much less iron (there's a risk of anemia) and much more calcium and phosphorus;

• Cows often receive hormones and antibiotics through their feed. Think about the fact that all this “charm” partially ends up in milk.

Therefore, ideally, it should be tested, from a “familiar” cow, when you are sure that the owners do not feed her such “seasonings”.

So can children have cow's milk? Can. Question: in what form and when?

When can you give your baby cow's milk?

So, at what age can children use cow's milk as complementary foods? It depends on the type of complementary food itself.

1. With the so-called pedagogical complementary feeding, products appear in the baby’s diet when he shows interest in adult food (after about six months), in order to introduce the baby to new food (read the article: Pedagogical complementary feeding >>>);

In this approach to nutrition, there are no strict deadlines for introducing foods. If the whole family eats porridge with milk, then the child is given 1 microdose of porridge and then the reaction is assessed.

1. In pediatric complementary feeding, a new product is introduced in accordance with age.

• Cow's milk, like other products, in this case is introduced into complementary foods, with the goal of gradually replacing breast milk or formula with food from the common table;
• From how many months can a child be given cow's milk as complementary food in this case? Not earlier than 1 year. Until then, the priority should be breast milk(or adapted milk formula).

1. Fermented milk products can be given as complementary foods from an earlier age:

• cottage cheese – from 7 months;
• kefir, fermented baked milk, yoghurts - after 8 - 9 months.

Wherein we're talking about O natural yogurt, without sugar, dyes, preservatives, flavors. But complementary feeding from ready-made dairy products from baby food stores is best left until 1.5-2 years.

Attention! So, let’s remember: the age when a child can be given cow’s milk is one year, fermented milk products are 8-9 months. Store-bought dairy products – 1.5-2 years.

Watch the online course to figure out when and in what order to introduce foods into your child’s diet and how to maintain a good appetite for your baby. Follow the link: ABC of complementary feeding: safe introduction of complementary feeding to an infant >>>

Yes, and also regarding fat content. Don't believe it if you see "skim milk with vitamin D" on the label. This is pure fiction.

The fact is that this vitamin dissolves only in fats and is absorbed along with them. Similarly, a low-fat product cannot contain vitamin A.

Cow protein intolerance is not a death sentence

Can children have milk as complementary food in this case? Of course not! You wouldn’t feed your baby eggs, knowing that he has a terrible allergy to them, would you?

Intolerance is not an allergic reaction, but an inability to absorb some food. But it has the most unpleasant symptoms associated with the gastrointestinal tract:

1. Flatulence;
2. Intestinal colic;
3. Spasms;
4. Diarrhea (read the article on the topic: Diarrhea in infants >>>)
5. Epigastric pain, etc.

By the way, a child may well have an allergy to milk. In this case, of course, you can’t give it either.

But what complementary foods can be used to compensate for the lack of calcium in a growing body? I understand that this is the first thing you thought of.

• Don't worry, milk doesn't contain any substances that can't be replenished with other foods. For example, similar vitamins and amino acids are found in meat. Increase the portion of complementary meat in your baby’s diet and the problem is solved;

• But you will probably argue: milk is calcium! So, there are many other products that contain no less calcium (and it is often even better absorbed from them);

For example, this is parsley, spinach, cabbage and cauliflower, broccoli, sesame.

• One more question: what to do with an afternoon snack if the baby is not allowed cottage cheese and yogurt? Replace them with any other light snack: fruits or vegetables.

Remember: vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, eggs, cereals, cereals - all this may well constitute a balanced diet for a child, even if there is no milk in it.

By the way! If a child has an allergy or intolerance to cow protein, it is advisable that he receive breast milk or at least formula for at least 2 years. This will help balance the digestive system and the baby’s diet.

Portion size matters

Well, we discussed the benefits and harms of cow's milk, we also sorted out allergies and age. It remains to talk about how much milk a child can be given if there are no contraindications.

So, I’ll give you a clear picture of the norms of dairy products for babies before and after one year:

But what about porridge? Can children have porridge with milk, since it is a hearty and healthy dish?

If a child has intolerance to cow's milk protein, then milk porridges are excluded from the child's diet. In all other cases, porridge with milk can be given to the child.

The question of age is again very conditional and depends on how the child’s body reacts to milk.

By the way! Even if you have a reaction to cow's milk, you can successfully start using coconut milk, which nutritionists consider safer and healthier for any person.

At 2 years old, you can give as much milk as the child wants. With a healthy appetite, the child will not drink more than his body requires.

Finally, a few useful tips on the topic of complementary feeding:

1. Pasteurized milk also does not need to be boiled - it has already been thermally processed;
2. If your baby stubbornly refuses to be fed cow's milk, don't insist;

• Firstly, forced infusion will never benefit digestion and the body as a whole;
• Secondly, very often children intuitively avoid those foods that are harmful to them (cause pain, allergies).

1. Choose milk with a fat content of up to 3.2%. More is excess fats. Well, less - I already said: it cannot contain any vitamins D or A, which is also not very useful;
2. Try not to feed your baby cottage cheese and kefir outdoors in the summer - pathogenic flora develops in them quite quickly in the heat, which can lead to infection, for example, with E. coli.

I hope the knowledge gained today will help you correctly introduce milk into your baby’s diet in order to avoid many unnecessary problems.

Remember how, as a child, you were forced to drink milk and told that it was very healthy? This situation probably happened with every second child. It was not for nothing that parents did this, because it was believed that milk was a very healthy product not only for children, but also for adults. However, according to recent studies, not everything is as smooth as we would like with milk consumption. In this article we will talk about the benefits and harms of milk for the human body, and learn a lot of interesting things on this topic.

Is drinking milk good for children, adults and the elderly? Understanding the composition of cow's milk

Infants and children

Babies need mother's milk, since their digestive and immune systems have not yet fully developed. And this product is well absorbed in their small body. This happens thanks to lactase, an enzyme that breaks down milk sugar (lactose).

But we are talking only about mother's milk. It is not worth giving cow or goat milk in a diluted form, because there is a high probability of rickets (lack of vitamin D). By consuming milk of animal origin, the baby receives several times more phosphorus and calcium than he needs. Calcium is excreted easily, but phosphorus is not. To do this, the kidneys use large quantities of vitamin D and calcium, which is why the baby develops a deficiency of these elements.

When the kidneys are so developed that they can easily remove excess phosphorus, they do not use the entire supply of vitamin D and calcium. Therefore, after one year of life, giving milk from a cow or goat to children is not only possible, but also necessary.

Adults and elderly

But what happens to our body as it gradually matures? The amount of lactase begins to decrease. In the Chinese and Japanese, this happens at an early age, causing them to develop complete lactose intolerance (the medical term is hypolactasia). Europeans lose this enzyme more slowly.

In older people, the components of the microflora in the intestines change. Lactase does not work well and lactose, accordingly, is not absorbed, but goes to the large intestine, where it is digested there. The result of this process is the following symptoms:

• Bloating;
• Heartburn;
• Stomach ache;
• Diarrhea.

Interesting to know: scientists believe that the use of milk as a raw material for making cheeses, curdled milk or yogurt makes it possible to consume dairy products even for those who are lactose intolerant, since the bacteria used to create fermented milk products promote the breakdown of lactose.

If you do not suffer from hypolactasia, then you can safely drink milk, because it is a source of protein, calcium and many vitamins.

Compound

Nutritional value in one hundred grams:

• Protein 3.2 g (approximately 4% of daily value);
• Fat 3.7 g (5.55%);
• Carbohydrates 4.9 g (3.8%).

The calorie content of milk is 65 kcal, which is 4.6% of the daily calorie intake.

Milk contains the following components:

• Calcium (accounts for 12% of the daily value);
• Phosphorus (11.3%);
• Cobalt (8%);
• Molybdenum (7%);
• Iodine (6%);
• Potassium (5.8%).

And in smaller quantities magnesium, sodium, chlorine, chromium, selenium, zinc.

There are also enough vitamins:

• B12 (13.3%);
• B2 (8.3%);
• B5 (7.6%);
• N (6.4%);
• RR (6.1%);
• B4 (4.7%);
• A (3.3%);
• B1 (2.7%);
• B6 (2.5%);
• C (1.7%);
• B9 (1.3%).

Benefits of cow's milk for human health

For women

The beneficial properties of milk convince many not to give up this product. Here are just some of its positive aspects:

• Since ancient times, this product has been used to reduce migraine symptoms. You can prepare a medicinal drink by adding a raw egg to hot milk.
• The product is a sedative and has a positive effect on the nervous system.
• The presence of more than 20 vitamins helps fight vitamin deficiency.
• Milk is an indispensable component of cosmetic products. It makes the skin soft and moisturized.

Important: many people believe that milk is necessary when losing weight. However, in this matter everything depends on the characteristics of the organism. According to recent studies, it was found that in 83% of cases the drink had no effect on weight loss or weight gain. But to diversify your diet during a diet, you can add it, but only low-fat.

The benefits of milk for women suffering from mastopathy are also visible. A decoction is made from it with the addition of dill seeds. By drinking 0.4 liters of this product daily for a maximum of 14 days, you can get rid of lumps and constant pain.

For men

If we talk about the benefits of milk for men, then we immediately remember athletes who need large quantities squirrel. During training, they lose a lot of energy, so they constantly drink protein drinks. They can be periodically replaced with milk, which is rich in protein.

For children

What are the benefits of milk for children? Its rich composition speaks for itself. From one year of age and older, if your child wants milk and does not feel discomfort after drinking it, then give him no more than three glasses a day.

Important: boiling helps kill all harmful bacteria, but the beneficial components are preserved.

It is believed that immunoglobulins, which are formed in protein foods, help kill bacteria that cause viral and infectious diseases. To have more immunoglobulin, you need a quickly digestible protein, which is what milk produces.

Remember, all the minerals and vitamins found in milk are also found in other foods. Therefore, this drink is not something necessary for children. If your baby doesn't like it, don't force it.

Important: if your child has had a rotavirus infection, do not give him milk under any circumstances. The ban on the use of this product must continue for two weeks. The thing is that rotavirus stops the production of lactase, which breaks down milk sugar.

Is milk good for you at night?

It is believed that a glass of milk before bed helps cope with insomnia. It contains amino acids such as tryptophan and phenylalanine, which have sedative properties. If you want to improve your sleep, one hour before going to bed, eat a spoonful of honey and wash it down with milk. For better results, you can add a small pinch of nutmeg to the drink.

You may also be interested in articles on the topic:

Harm of milk to the body and contraindications to its consumption

There are enough contraindications to drinking milk. People began to talk about its dangers especially often after a series of experiments were conducted at the Harvard research center, the results of which were disappointing. For this reason, this medical school has completely removed whole milk from the list of foods that provide benefits.

So, here's what harm milk can do to a person:

• One glass contains about 10% of the daily dose of cholesterol, which is prohibited for an adult. Milk contains solid beef fat, which is the worst. Such fat in excess can lead to the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques. If you want to drink milk, then its fat content should be 0%.
• The milk sold in stores comes from factories where cows produce it 300 days a year. In its natural habitat, the animal produces this product only 180 days a year. In production, cows are fed special feeds, as a result of which the content of the hormone estrone sulfate in milk increases 30 times. This compound increases the likelihood of cancerous tumors.
• Milk is a real allergen. Every fourth person suffers from lactase deficiency.
• Constant use of this product may cause the development of type 1 diabetes.

So, a lot is said about milk, some people consider it healthy and drink as much as they want, while others decide to give it up completely due to recently emerging information about its dangers. If you tend to drink this drink periodically, then it is better to buy a natural one and boil it. Or, purchase only those products that are packaged in tetrapack or glass bottle. In addition, it is believed that ultra-pasteurization is the most gentle type of processing, in which all harmful bacteria are killed, while minerals and vitamins remain.

The benefits and harms of milk for children and adults is a pressing question to which no one can yet give a definitive answer. Do you have an opinion? We will be glad if you share it in the comments.