Olga Moiseenko
Is milk good for children?

Now many modern parents are thinking, Is milk good for their kids?? And I also thought about this question. Is it true that it contains those substances indispensable for growth and development that are so necessary children?

Many nutritionists are sure that there is no such food product that could compete with milk. It contains fatty acid, amino acids, milk sugar, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, proteins, various enzymes - a great variety of everything useful! For a newborn baby milk- this is the only and complete food created by nature itself. drinking a glass milk, a three-year-old child receives half the daily amount of calcium!

Research objectives:

1 Conduct a survey of parents;

2 Find out chemical composition milk;

3 Find out how it affects milk for children;

4 Find out how the deficiency affects (or absence) milk on the child's body.

Chemical composition milk

Study milk showed the presence of more than 50 elements. They share on the:

Macronutrients Micronutrients

calcium iron

magnesium copper

potassium zinc

sodium manganese

phosphorus cobalt

sulfur molybdenum

aluminum salt

citrates phosphates chlorides tin

A survey was conducted, during which it was revealed that 88.2% of respondents believe milk is a useful product. It strengthens bones and teeth, it contains many vitamins. And only 12.8% believe milk is a harmful product, since it is powder, or they consider healthy goat milk.

An experiment was also carried out with 1 part of the children for three months daily 500 ml was introduced into the diet. milk(in the form of porridge, milk, their performance (mental, physical development) improved, the frequency of colds decreased (medical product based on milk"Narin", Biolact increased immunity. The condition of nails and teeth improved in children.

Those children who did not receive milk lacked calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, trace elements. As a result, immunity is burned, the construction and activity of vital enzymes, vitamins and hormones are disrupted, selenium deficiency causes slow growth. Selenium has been found to be the most important antioxidant. That is, almost all the vital functions of the body suffered.

The RAMP Institute of Nutrition has developed recommended consumption rates dairy products per person per year - 392 kg (in terms of milk)

Whole milk - 116kg;

Butter - 6.1 kg;

Sour cream - 6.5 kg;

Cottage cheese - 8.8 kg;

Cheese - 6.1 kg;

Ice cream - 8 kg.

Consumption of basic food products in the Russian Federation (per capita per year/kg) To maintain the normal functioning of the body, the diet of a child and adolescent should include 50% milk and dairy products.

Indicator 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Milk and dairy products 387 347 282 294 281 254 233 230 220

In terms of milk

Indicator 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Milk, kg 214 214 219 227 231 233 235 239 242 243

There is a whole discussion on this topic right now. So American pediatricians doubt the need "lean on milk» . They refute the well-known thesis about the benefits of cow milk for young children - the more the child drinks milk in the first seven years of life, the stronger his bones will be. They base their conclusions on a survey of 37 children over the age of seven. In 27 cases, there was no connection between the increase in the amount of alcohol consumed milk and the strength of the bones was not traced. Studies have shown that it is much more important for strong bones physical exercises than an increase in calcium intake. For a child to have healthy strong bones, exercise plus up to 1300 mg of calcium per day is necessary.

Russian scientists believe that there is no such food product that could compete with milk. This is a treasure trove useful substances . So milk is a source of calcium, 97% of which is absorbed by the human body. Milk is good with colds, since its protein is absorbed more easily than other protein foods, it is from it that the necessary to combat viral infection immunoglobulins. Moreover, this feature helps children who play sports and want to build muscle. Milk helps with insomnia, as it has a calming effect on the nervous system (especially healthy warm milk with honey 1 hour before bedtime). Milk is good for children who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract (helps reduce stomach acidity)- a remedy for heartburn. Healthy it is for gastritis with high acidity and gastric and duodenal ulcers. Milk is rich in vitamins, it healthy in the fight against excess weight, disorders of the immune and endocrine systems. Milk Helps with severe headaches and migraines.

Through research, I came to the conclusion that milk belongs to the most healthy types of food, as it has all the properties necessary for the growth and development of the body.

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

The benefits of cow's milk

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

A large amount of calcium in the composition of milk determines its 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, the use of cow's milk effectively prevents the development of rickets and osteoporosis.

Regular consumption of cow's milk during childhood is especially important. It is at an early and transitional age that the strength of the skeleton is laid and the maximum bone mass is accumulated, on which the predisposition to fractures for life will depend.

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

At an early age, cow's milk, as a rule, is well absorbed, promotes growth and development, strengthens immunity, improves memory and mood.

With age, the ability to digest milk deteriorates, but the complete elimination of traditional food from the diet of an elderly person can be harmful to his health. In this case, it is recommended to consume milk diluted or skimmed (skimmed).

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

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

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

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

The main protein in cow's milk, casein, is the strongest allergen. With incomplete digestion, it is able to enter the bloodstream 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 with a tendency to allergies should exercise caution when consuming cow's milk, and it may be helpful to seek advice from your healthcare professional regarding your diet. The presence of a pathological reaction to it means the complete exclusion from the diet of all dairy products.

Milk sugar, lactose, is rarely completely processed in the body of an adult. Lactase deficiency can be developed in varying degrees: not cause inconvenience or lead to complete intolerance to dairy products. It manifests itself most often in the form of the following symptoms:

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

Cow's milk harms the body also if the metabolism of galactose is disturbed. This substance is formed during the breakdown of milk sugar along with glucose and can be a serious risk factor for the development of cataracts and arthritis. Galactosemia is a hereditary disease and requires the 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 backyard from neat and clean owners, whose cow is regularly examined by a veterinarian. This is the only way to find whole milk, the product of industrial production is drinking normalized, the content of proteins and fats in it is artificially regulated.

You should choose the milk that has been in contact with air as little 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 takes place on his farm, it will be useful to find out its method (machine or manual).

The freshness of the product is of great importance: fresh whole milk contains a maximum of useful 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 make 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 useful nutrients are also preserved. Pasteurized milk can turn sour, so it remains quite suitable for making curdled milk, cottage cheese or cheese.

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

Boiling, sterilization and ultra-pasteurization are the most popular among such methods. They destroy lactic acid bacteria, which prevent the appearance of toxic compounds, and milk fats, depriving the product of most of its useful properties.

Any heat treatment lowers the acidity of the drink, frees it from the gases dissolved in it and increases the shelf life. Of the types of milk available for purchase in the store, it is preferable to choose pasteurized, it is it that 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 method of packaging.

Storage of cow's milk

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

Helpful tips for storing milk:

1. At the grocery store, it's best to put milk last in the grocery basket to avoid keeping it warm for a long time. Upon returning home, immediately place it in the refrigerator.
2. In the refrigerator, milk is optimally stored at a temperature of 0-4 ° C, do not use the door for this.
3. Opened milk can be eaten within 3 days, kept covered 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. Light should be avoided as this 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 better absorbed, it is necessary to drink it on an empty stomach, without mixing with other food, in small sips and with a slight delay in the mouth.

Do not take cold milk: low temperature hinders the process of digestion. 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 certain types of fruits, berries and vegetables. It softens the effects of caffeine, so adding a little of it to tea or coffee is a good idea. 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 fully 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 clear 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 trace elements, but also in pathogenic bacteria (from E. coli to Listeria and tick-borne encephalitis). Normal boiling rids the product of harmful microorganisms, but also devalues ​​it, destroying useful substances.

Pasteurization and homogenization, which goes through store-bought milk, purifies the drink, while maintaining its nutritional value. However, even such "adult" milk is not suitable for children older than two years. For example, a high fat content threatens the baby with obesity, especially if he has a genetic predisposition. And also, along with milk, antibiotics 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 harmful substances in baby drink. But even such labeling does not guarantee the optimal content of trace elements and vitamins necessary for the development of the child.

What is the benefit of cow's or goat's milk?

Milk is a liquid white color, which is secreted by female mammals when they feed their babies. For centuries, Europeans have been raising cows, goats and sheep, drinking their milk and making cheese.

Recently, enough research has been done, and you can clearly answer the question of how useful milk is.

Goat milk competes successfully with cow milk. It is used in infant formulas, tasty and healthy cheese is made from it, rickets and tuberculosis were treated with it. Many people in villages around the world grew up on goat milk.

Now cases of allergy 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 has been fed properly and kept clean.
• Easier to digest than cow's. The fat balls of this milk are smaller than cow's, in addition, if cow's cottage cheese contains about 10%, then in goat's it is only 2%. In the human stomach, it forms thin curd flakes, which allows it to be digested faster.
• This milk itself is homogenized - in contrast to cow's milk, in which the effect of homogenization is achieved by special processing.
• Freshly milked, only from under a goat, milk has an antibacterial effect - it does not deteriorate at room temperature for about two days without any treatment.
• it 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), B 12. It also contains vitamins C, D, E, H, PP (niacin equivalent).
• There are important micro and macro elements, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, chlorine, copper, iron, iodine and others.

What is useful goat's milk, besides this? There is another, major benefit: goat milk does not contain the protein alpha-1s-casein, so it can be drunk by those who suffer from food allergies. And, surprisingly, many people with lactose intolerance (thus unable to digest cow's milk) can drink goat's milk without problems.

cow 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 some benefits of cow's milk:

• Fresh, freshly milked milk, like goat's milk, contains bactericidal substances - enzymes, leukocytes, immunoglobulins and others. When boiled, these enzymes with leukocytes and some of the vitamins are destroyed, and as a result, less useful remains in boiled milk.
• The composition of cow's milk includes 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, of which eight are essential, that is, the human body cannot synthesize them on its own and must receive them from outside.
• Also in the composition of this milk there are vitamins A, B, E, C, B 1, B 2, B 9, PP, which are necessary for the proper flow various processes in the body. Vitamin deficiency, like their excess, causes various diseases and disorders.

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

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

All methods of processing milk affect the composition of the product, and the result of this is not only a different composition. Both taste and smell change, and people who have tried fresh homemade milk 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 advised as an excellent remedy for microbes - they got rid of them, but retained the beneficial substances. After all, bacteria can cause this or that disease, reducing to zero everything that milk is useful for. And in fact?

Natural vitamins against bacteria

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

• vitamin C, it does not withstand heat, and even a brief boil 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 what milk is good for if 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 useful to humans. However, not all. So is pasteurization: it destroys up to 90% of 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 pure form.

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

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

What is useful baked milk

What is good about milk "from the oven" for those who do not have allergy problems? Unfortunately, the amount of vitamin C and B 1 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.

Why is milk useful for women who are expecting a baby? It is especially important for pregnant women and nursing mothers to eat fully so that the body can supply the child with everything it needs and at the same time does not suffer.

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

Whose milk is best to give a baby?

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

Infant formula is expensive, and the better and better the product, the more expensive it is. And even the most expensive and high-quality ones are not perfect - simply because the exact composition breast milk so far no one has been able to.

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

Dozens of generations have grown up on the belief that milk of animal origin is one of the "cornerstones" of human nutrition, in other words, one of the most important and useful foods 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 with cow's milk, but also with goat, sheep, camel, etc.). And these relationships are regulated primarily by the ability of our digestive system to qualitatively digest this very milk.

The bottom line is that milk contains in its composition a special milk sugar - lactose (in the exact 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 - in this way, nature “thought out” so that the child can get the maximum benefit and nutrients from your mother's breast milk.

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

That is why modern medicine does not encourage the use of milk (not sour-milk products, but milk itself!) by adults. In our time, doctors agreed that drinking milk does more harm to human health than good ...

And here a reasonable question arises: if a newborn baby and an infant up to a year old has the maximum production of the lactase enzyme for its entire future life, does this mean that babies, if impossible, are more useful to feed with "live" cow's milk than from a can?

It turns out - no! The use of cow's milk is not only not good for the health of babies, but moreover, it is fraught with a lot of dangers. What?

Is it possible for children under one year old to have milk?

Fortunately, or unfortunately, in the minds of a large number of adults (especially those who live in rural areas), in recent years there has been a stereotype that if a young mother does not have her own milk, the baby can and should be fed not with a mixture from a can, but with divorced rustic cow's or goat's milk. Like, it’s more economical, and “closer” to nature, and it’s more useful for the growth and development of the child - after all, people have acted this way from time immemorial! ..

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

For example, one of the main troubles is the use of 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 actually given this invaluable vitamin D from birth, but at the same time feed him with cow's milk (which, by the way, is 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 be the culprit of constant and total losses of calcium and that very vitamin D.

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

If a baby up to a year consumes cow's milk, 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 a fair amount of 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 experiences his body.

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

And along with calcium, it also loses priceless vitamin D, against the background of a deficiency of which the baby inevitably develops rickets. As for infant formulas, all of them, without exception, have deliberately removed all excess phosphorus - by definition, they are more beneficial for feeding babies than whole cow (or goat) milk.

And only when the children outgrow the age of 1 year, only then their kidneys mature enough that they are already 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 and any other milk of animal origin) from harmful products in the children's menu turns into a useful and important product.

Second serious problem, which occurs when feeding babies with cow's milk -. As can be seen from the table, the iron content in women's breast milk is slightly higher than in cow's. 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 practically guaranteed.

Milk in the diet of children after a year

However, the taboo on the use of milk in a child's life is a temporary phenomenon. Already when the baby passes the one-year milestone, his kidneys become a fully formed and mature organ, electrolyte metabolism normalizes and excess phosphorus in milk becomes less scary for him.

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

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

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

So, we will 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 old: milk is dangerous for 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 old: 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 old to 13 years old: at this age, you can drink milk according to the principle “how much you want - let him drink as much”;
• Children after 13 years: 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 sour-milk products, in which fermentation processes have already "worked" on the breakdown of milk sugar.

Modern doctors believe that after the age of 15, in about 65% of the inhabitants of the Earth, the production of an enzyme that breaks down milk sugar decreases to negligible values. Which can potentially cause all sorts of problems and diseases in the gastrointestinal tract. That is why the consumption of whole milk in adolescence(and then in adulthood) is considered undesirable from the point of view of modern medicine.

Useful facts about milk for children and not only

In conclusion, here are some little-known facts about cow's milk and its use, 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, in fairness, have never been the main benefit of milk). So if you doubt the origin of milk (especially if you bought it on the market, in the “private sector”, etc.), be sure to boil it before giving it to your child.
2. It is advisable for a child aged 1 to 4-5 years not to give milk, the fat content of which exceeds 3%.
3. Physiologically, the human body can live its entire life without whole milk, while maintaining both health and activity. In other words, there are no substances in the milk of animal origin that would be indispensable 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 one that breaks down milk sugar lactase. In other words, if a child is fed dairy products (including breast milk!), after suffering a rotavirus, this is guaranteed to add several digestive ailments to him in the form of indigestion, abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, etc.
5. A few years ago, one of the most reputable medical research centers in the world - Harvard Medical School (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 on the occurrence of diabetes and even cancer. However, even doctors from the prestigious Harvard School explained that moderate and occasional milk consumption is perfectly acceptable and safe. We are talking about the fact that milk has long been mistakenly considered one of the most important products for human life, health and longevity, and today it has lost this privileged status, as well as its place in the daily diet of adults and children.

Until recently benefits of milk and dairy products for children did not cause any doubts. Babies literally from the first months of life begin to be fed with milk mixtures, and at a later age they are replaced by all kinds of curds, yogurts, kefirs and fermented baked milk. Cow's milk, which forms the basis of all these products, at first glance, is indeed an indispensable source of nutrients necessary for the normal growth and development of the child. These substances include:

• easily digestible proteins;
• animal fats;
• carbohydrates that form galactose and glucose during digestion;
• minerals (calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus);
• vitamins A, B, B2, C, D, E.

Cow's milk almost never causes rejection from the children's digestive system, and it can rightly be called a universal food product. However, recent studies show that in fact, everything is far from simple, and the benefits of dairy products are already being questioned, despite the thousand-year history of human use of these products.

Proper nutrition for children: is it worth feeding a child with milk?

First of all, scientists are confused by the fact of the banal species incompatibility of a person and such a familiar, domesticated animal as a cow. What exactly is cow's milk? This is the secret of the mammary glands of a female mammal, which is very far from Homo sapiens on the ladder of evolutionary development.
The secret secreted by the cow is intended exclusively for the calf, but not for the human cub, which completely lacks the individual enzymes necessary for the breakdown and assimilation of some components of cow's milk. For example, during the breakdown of milk carbohydrates (in particular, lactose), glucose and galactose are formed.
There are no problems with glucose, and for a person it really is a universal source of "fast" energy, but our body cannot absorb galactose. It practically does not participate in the processes of chemical metabolism, and leads to the accumulation of subcutaneous fat, which is subsequently extremely difficult to get rid of.
Let's analyze the main components and try to compare them with those beneficial substances found in breast milk.

Milk fat

Few people know, but almost 50% of the energy when drinking the usual 3% of milk, we get not from carbohydrates, but directly from fats. How is it, because the packaging says that the fat content is only 3%? The fact is that pasteurized dairy products for children(and in general any dairy products from the store) contain saturated fats, largely oxidized during the process of repeated pouring and mixing.
Such fats are very high in calories, and to a large extent increase the level of cholesterol in the child's body. Everyone knows that this substance cannot be called useful in any way, and it is the main cause of vascular atherosclerosis, obesity and other unpleasant diagnoses. The most interesting thing is that when a calf is fed naturally from the udder, milk fats do not come into contact with air and do not oxidize, and they become "harmful" only thanks to a person, in the process of repeated transfusions and pasteurization.

Milk carbohydrates

When talking about the carbohydrates contained in milk, they primarily mean lactose. In mother's milk, its percentage is from 5.5 to 6.0%, and in cow's milk - less than 5%. In addition to the quantitative difference, there is also a qualitative one. In fact, galactose, formed during the breakdown of lactose, is a "reserve fuel" for the child's body. It begins to be broken down in the liver when the reserves of glucose formed during the digestion of the same milk run out.
From a certain age, the ability of the human digestive system to absorb galactose decreases, and it ceases to participate in energy exchange processes, accumulating in subcutaneous fat, joints, eye lenses, etc. Therefore, the need for the use of milk by older children who have long ceased to be infants causes great doubts among scientists.

Milk proteins

It is very important to understand that animal proteins that enter our body are not absorbed in their original form and require prior splitting into amino acids. Subsequently, from these amino acids, as from a constructor, those proteins that our body needs at a given time are built (for example, for the construction of muscle fibers, for the regeneration of damaged tissues, etc.). This process is called protein biosynthesis in biology.
The protein contained in cow's milk is perfectly broken down in the stomach of a calf (due to the enzyme renin), but the same cannot be said about a human child. For normal protein biosynthesis, the baby needs milk nutrition mother, which, in addition to proteins, contains symbiotic bacteria suitable specifically for the species Homo sapiens. In the case of cow's milk, the child's body spends too many resources on the breakdown of foreign proteins, and in the end it still does not absorb them in full.

Calcium

A simple laboratory analysis will show that cow's milk contains about 4-5 times more calcium than mother's. Without knowing all the nuances, one can actually believe in the undeniable benefits of dairy products, which should cover our need for this mineral by 100%. In fact, the situation is exactly the opposite. When drinking cow's milk, in addition to calcium, casein (the strongest oxidizing agent) enters the child's stomach, which can only be neutralized with the help of minerals.
To normalize the acid-base balance, calcium contained in the milk itself is first spent, and when it is not enough, the internal resources of the body are used. Thus, cow's milk can not only not bring calcium into our metabolism, but also "wash" it out of the body, adversely affecting the condition of teeth and bones. In the case of mother's milk, the amount of calcium and casein is strictly balanced, and the child gets enough of this mineral instead of losing it.
After receiving such information, only one conclusion suggests itself - it is worth resorting to feeding with cow's milk and milk mixtures based on it only when baby refuses breast milk. For older children (from 2 years and older), milk consumption should be strictly dosed, and it is clearly not worth abusing this product.

Dairy products: how do they affect the children's body?

The questionable benefits of cow's milk (in its pure form) are described above, but does all this apply to secondary dairy products: kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.? Let's try to figure this out point by point.

Kefir

• high content of vitamin A, which is responsible for the condition of the skin and vision of the child;
• an abundance of calcium and phosphorus involved in the construction of bone tissue;
• the presence of trace elements necessary for the synthesis of B vitamins;
• normalization of the intestinal microflora due to the large number of "beneficial" bacteria;
• an obstacle to the development of a disease such as anemia (often found in infants);
• stimulation of the production of antiviral antibodies (immune strengthening).

However, this dairy product also has its own " side effects". Kefir for children may be contraindicated for the following reasons:

• too aggressive for the children's digestive system (the reason lies in the same casein, which increases the acidity of the stomach);
• contains too much protein and minerals, which overloads the baby's fragile kidneys;
• contains fatty acids that are poorly absorbed in the children's body (especially relevant for children under one year old);
• large portions of kefir can lead to bloating and intestinal upset in a child;
• the use of kefir at an early age can provoke the washing out of useful hemoglobin from the child's body.

There is no exact answer to the question of whether children can use kefir. You need to weigh all the pros and cons of this dairy product, and correlate them with the characteristics of your child's metabolism. We can definitely say only that kefir is contraindicated for children under one year old, and at an older age, its consumption should be strictly dosed.

Ryazhenka

This product, obtained by lactic acid fermentation of baked cow's milk, is often used to feed young children. There are certainly benefits from fermented baked milk, but its potential harm should also be taken into account. Let's look at the pros first:

• magnesium and iron contribute to the development of muscle fibers, including the child's heart muscle;
• sulfur compounds provide correct formation internal organs;
• calcium and phosphorus strengthen the bones and teeth of the baby;
• lactic acid and potassium improve the functioning of the kidneys and the urinary system as a whole;
• prebiotics stimulate the growth of the child, strengthen the immune system and stabilize the intestinal microflora.

Now let's move on to the cons:

• not compatible with other animal protein foods such as: meat, fish, eggs, etc. (the joint intake of these products will harm the digestive system of the child);
• contraindicated in children with high acidity of the stomach, and especially with chronic gastritis;
• often causes allergies in children under 3 years of age;
• with frequent use leads to obesity (accumulation of subcutaneous fat);
• when expired, it carries the threat of dangerous intestinal infections.

Overall, fermented baked milk for a child not contraindicated. You can feed her from 7-8 months, carefully observing the well-being of the baby. If negative reactions appear (indigestion, rash, etc.), feel free to exclude it from the children's diet. is not an indispensable product, and the same useful substances can be obtained from other varieties of "milk".

Yogurt

Sweet yogurts are loved by children of all ages, and this one milk product today it is presented in stores in a large assortment: with berries, fruits, cereals, nuts and other additives. Yogurt, along with kefir and fermented baked milk, is a fermented milk product, and carries exactly the same potential risks to a child's health. Its benefits are about the same. Let's start with it:

• digested faster than milk and in a more complete volume;
• approved for use by children with lactase deficiency;
• reduces the risk of caries;
• contains useful inclusions that carry additional benefits (nuts, fruits, berries);
• it tastes good (unlike the same kefir, children do not have to be persuaded to eat yogurt).

Unfortunately, the disadvantages of modern much more than that of kefir and fermented baked milk. Regardless of the effects described above (increased stomach acidity, excess protein and minerals, etc.), yogurts have the following disadvantages:

• contain various stabilizers, flavors and dyes that adversely affect the children's body;
• contain preservatives such as E1442 and its analogues, which can cause severe damage to the pancreas (pancreatic necrosis);
• contain sodium citrate (E331), which significantly increases the level of acidity in the stomach and oral cavity of the child;
• due to various additives (berries, fruits, nuts, cocoa), they often cause allergies.

Harmful chemical additives that extend the shelf life and enhance the taste are found in almost all dairy products in this category. Therefore, the answer to the question is yogurt good for kids, unambiguous - only in small quantities, and in the absence of negative reactions from the child's body.

Perhaps, of all dairy products, cottage cheese is the least dangerous for a child's health. Of course, this refers to natural cottage cheese - without preservatives, palm oil and other additives, which are now littered with store shelves. The useful properties of this product include:

• a high content of calcium, which is much better absorbed in the body of a child compared to calcium from ordinary milk (along with the intake of vitamin D, this product is able to cure even severe bone diseases);
• low acidity (unlike kefir and milk, it does not irritate the gastric mucosa);
• easily digestible animal proteins and fats necessary for the full development of the child's body (protein concentration in cottage cheese is extremely high - about 7-8 g per 100 g of product);
• an abundance of vitamin B2, which improves vision and skin condition;
• antibacterial substances that normalize the work of the digestive system of the child.

It is absorbed in the children's body much better than milk, kefir and yogurt. It prevents the development of cardiovascular and endocrine diseases, and does not have such a big burden on the liver and kidneys, like the rest of the "milk". Cottage cheese has no contraindications (except for individual intolerance).
The benefits of cottage cheese for a child allows you to use this product as a complementary food for your baby as early as 7 months of age. It is recommended to take low-fat curd mixtures, with a minimum amount of additives. After three years, you can switch to medium-fat curds.
As for sweet glazed curds based on cottage cheese, here, first of all, you need to look at the composition. In the presence of chemical additives marked "E", it is best to refuse such a product - it will do the child much more harm than good. In addition, cocoa, sugar and other additives in themselves are harmful even for an adult, not to mention a fragile child's body.

Solid (or fused) is considered an "adult" product, but many children also love it, and parents do not deny them this pleasure. If we are talking about a natural product, then there is nothing wrong with that. An average cheese (for example, "Russian") contains about 1300 mg of calcium per 100 g of product, which is more than 10 times higher than its concentration in cottage cheese. This delicious product has other advantages:

• large amounts of sodium, magnesium and potassium (as well as small inclusions of selenium, zinc and iron);
• abundance of useful amino acids - " building material"for the child's body;
• various vitamins of groups B, C, PP, E (as well as beta-carotene);
• high concentration of animal fats (depending on the type of cheese).

At the same time, hard cheese has its drawbacks:

• exerts an increased load on the digestive system of the child (therefore, it is contraindicated in large quantities);
• contains a large amount of salt (negatively affects the joints and internal organs);
• can lead to severe allergic reactions.

Many children show interest in cheese, and start eating it with enough early age. This is especially true for all kinds of processed cheeses that can be spread on bread, cookies, etc. For children under 3 years old, this product is recommended to be given no more than 2-3 times a week, in small portions. You can add it to various dishes: scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, porridge.

Goat milk for a child: benefit or harm?

We have roughly figured out the advantages and disadvantages of the main varieties of dairy products, but what about ? Unlike cow, it has a slightly different composition, and is much better suited for feeding babies. The advantages of this product include:

• a large set of vitamins: A, B1, B2, B12, C, D;
• an extended list of minerals included in it: manganese, copper, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium;
• good digestibility in the child's body;
• reduced lactose content;
• the content of linolenic acid, which helps to strengthen the immune system;
• bactericidal properties (due to lysozyme);
• normalization of the conduction system of the child's heart;
• rickets prevention.

In terms of composition, goat's milk is closer to mother's than cow's. However, it cannot completely replace natural feeding for the following reasons:

• extremely low iron content (which is necessary for the normal development of the baby);
• lack of folic acid (may lead to anemia);
• an excess of phosphorus and calcium (additional burden on the child's urinary system);
• enough high level casein (bad for the stomach);
• increased fat content (with frequent use, it can lead to the formation of excess subcutaneous fat).

The benefits of goat milk for the health of the child, of course, there is. However, it is not recommended to constantly use it for feeding. You need to be very careful with the "raw" goat milk from the village. No one will give you a guarantee that the animal from which the milk was taken was not infected with a dangerous viral or bacterial disease.

Conclusion

Summing up, we can say that milk (both cow and goat) is a priori a product alien to humans, not designed for feeding Homo sapiens cubs. It is certainly not necessary to count on the fact that it will be completely absorbed by the child's body and will only benefit him. The composition of cow's and goat's milk is in many respects similar to mother's, but the mechanisms of splitting of the substances included in it are strikingly different. 100% proper diet for children possible only when breastfeeding, a should be used only for complementary foods, as an additional source of nutrition.

Everyone knows that children need to drink milk. But for some reason, many are mistaken, believing that the beneficial properties of milk do not apply to the body of an adult. But this is not at all the case - adults, no less than children, need to eat milk. Who benefits from milk?

Beneficial features milk

Milk - source of calcium, 97% of which is absorbed by the human body. This feature of milk, which no other product has, makes it indispensable for people with osteoporosis- a disease in which calcium is washed out of the bones, provoking their fragility and fragility.

Is milk good with colds? Yes, definitely! The thing is that milk protein is digested more easily than other protein foods - and it is from it that the proteins necessary to fight a viral infection are formed. immunoglobulins. Besides, digestibility of milk protein made this product the most popular among those who want to build muscle.

Milk - excellent tool for. The calming effect of this product on the nervous system is due to the content of the amino acids phenylalanine and tryptophan in it. Unsurprisingly, one of the most common folk recipes for the treatment of insomnia is a glass of warm milk with honey, drunk an hour before bedtime.

Useful properties of milk will come to the rescue and hypertensive patients- slight diuretic effect of milk helps to reduce pressure.

Many people wonder if drinking milk is good for people with problems with the gastrointestinal tract? Milk has the ability to lower the acidity of gastric juice, so this product is ideal. remedy for heartburn, which, as a rule, provokes increased acidity of the stomach. Useful milk and with gastritis with high acidity and gastric and duodenal ulcers. However, for better absorption of milk by gastric juice, it must be drunk slowly and in small sips - otherwise its benefits will be minimized.

Milk rich in vitamins. It contains a lot of riboflavin (vitamin B2), which contributes to a full-fledged energy metabolism in the body - namely Riboflavin has the ability to convert carbohydrates and fats into energy. Therefore, milk is especially useful for weight loss(in this case, you need to use low-fat milk), malfunctions immune and endocrine systems.

Milk helps a lot. with migraines, severe headaches. An egg-milk cocktail is especially good for migraines ( a raw egg per glass of boiling milk) - a weekly course of this "medicine" will make headaches leave you for a long time.

Milk is also useful for women's health, in particular, in the treatment of mastopathy. A decoction of dill seeds in milk (100 grams of seeds per 2 cups of milk) should be taken within 2-3 weeks - this will greatly alleviate the patient's condition, the lumps in the chest will decrease.

Milk is also excellent cosmetic product. Milk washes and compresses will help with dry and irritated skin.

Who is milk bad for?

Milk is not a panacea for all diseases. For many people, this product, for all its usefulness contraindicated.

So, a fairly large number of people have lactase deficiency An enzyme that digests lactose (milk sugar). Thus, the body of these people (who, by the way, are not so few - only about 15% of the population of our planet) unable to fully digest milk sugar, which leads to fermentation of milk in the stomach, and begins to "rebel": the stomach grumbles and swells, diarrhea begins.

Milk also belongs to the group allergen products. Milk antigen "A" is able to cause the strongest an allergic reaction in some people up to the onset of bronchial asthma. Therefore, people prone to allergies should be attentive to the use of milk and stop taking it at the first signs of an allergy: skin itching, rash, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, and bloating. At the same time, people suffering from an allergy to milk are not at all contraindicated for equally healthy fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese).

If you are suffering tendency to form phosphate stones in the kidneys- and a simple general urine test can show this - milk can only harm you, contributing to their appearance.

milk also undesirable to use for people of mature and old age(after 50 years). The thing is that this product contains myristic acid, which contributes to the accumulation of lipoproteins - substances that provoke development of atherosclerosis. Since the risk of atherosclerosis increases precisely after 50 years, this age is the mark when milk consumption should, if not be excluded, then at least reduced (no more than a glass a day).

Milk should be excluded from the diet people prone to calcification- the deposition of calcium salts in the vessels.

What is milk compatible with?

What foods are good for milk? Scientists argue that there are no special restrictions in this matter.

Despite the popular belief that combining milk with salty and spicy foods will lead to severe indigestion, this has not been scientifically proven. If your body does not rebel against the combination of herring or pickled cucumbers with milk, combine them to your health! In addition, milk helps neutralize the negative effects of spicy and salty foods in the body.

Concerning milk soups and milk porridge- they are also useful not only for children, but also for adults. True, in this form, the beneficial properties of milk are reduced by about half.

Many people ask: Is tea with milk healthy?? Definitely useful! Tea promotes better absorption of milk (respectively, and all its nutrients), and milk, in turn, neutralizes negative impact on the body contained in tea caffeine and alkaloids. Thus, mutually excluding the negative and activating the beneficial properties of each other, tea with milk forms a rather healthy and delicious drink.

Drink milk, eat other dairy products, combine milk with other foods - and be healthy!