Moscow, June 1 – An unreasonable transfer of a child to a substitute milk can cause serious harm to his health, and it is not recommended to give such milk to children under three years old, Ismail Usmanov, the chief independent pediatrician of the capital’s health department, told the News Agency.
World Milk Day and International Children’s Day are celebrated on the 1st of June.
“Vegetarian milk varieties certainly have some benefits for the body formed by an adult. But the unreasonable transition of a child to a diet of plant-based drinks can cause serious harm to health, lead to protein deficiency and calcium deficiency, which is essential for the development of bones and muscles,” Usmanov said. Hematopoietic system, because it does not contain animal protein, contains soluble forms of this element that are easily absorbed by the body.
The chief pediatrician of Moscow also noted that some types of vegetable milk analogues are several times fatter than traditional cow or goat milk, and therefore can disrupt the digestion process. In addition, various vegetable oils can be added to vegetable milk, which are not always beneficial.
“But the main thing is that manufacturers often add sugar to these drinks, which can lead to a violation of carbohydrate metabolism, the harm of which is indicated by all experts without exception,” Usmanov explained.
Also, the pediatrician strongly discourages giving vegetable milk to children under the age of three. At an older age, you should also not completely exclude foods and drinks containing cow’s or goat’s milk.
In turn, Antonina Starodubova, chief nutritionist at the Moscow Ministry of Health, explained that plant milk and cow’s milk belong to completely different food groups in terms of chemical composition and nutritional value, respectively, they are not equivalent and plant milk cannot completely replace animal milk. in the daily diet.
“The moderate consumption of low-fat dairy products and fermented milk not only contributes to weight gain, but is also an important factor in the prevention of multivitaminosis and osteoporosis. Thus, exclude dairy and fermented milk products from the diet without medical indications, which include, for example, Allergy to cow’s milk proteins is not recommended, ”said Starodubova.
