Dear Readers,
This week’s topic came from a concerned grandma. She wrote me on behalf of her little granddaughter:
Hi,
I would like to know what is the best alternative for milk for a 14-month baby. My granddaughter has an allergy to milk, dairy, nuts and seeds (except chia, flaxseed and hemp seed). She has seen a naturopath and was prescribed rice milk and coconut milk. The rice milk that my granddaughter is taking has 14 grams of sugar per 250 ml. I think this is too much sugar for a baby.
I need your help regarding this matter.
A very concerned grandma.
So today, we’re going to look at whether this is indeed too much sugar for a 14-month-old, as well as the nutritional content of different kinds of milk compared to breast milk, which is the gold standard for human development and immunity. We’ll look at why that is and what we can safely reach for when dairy and nut allergies are impacting a baby. You may be surprised to find out that it’s much more complex than your standard protein, fat, and carb content analysis!
The Gold Standard: Human Breast Milk
In order to understand if something has too much sugar or not enough protein, or an imbalanced fatty acid profile, we need to first understand the optimal nutrient profile for infant milk. Of course, I’m referring to human breast milk. It contains all the nutrients a baby requires for optimal growth and development.
“Breast-fed babies are less likely to have diarrhea, pneumonia, ear infection, meningitis and urinary infection. The risks of developing chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases and allergic diseases in adulthood are also lower in breast-fed babies. These babies also tend to achieve higher intelligence. These benefits are mostly due to the nutrition(al) superiority of human milk.” Source
“The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to two years and beyond.” Source
So let’s look at what makes it so beneficial and unique. (Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4)
Water: 88.1 per cent, filtered by mom’s body to hydrate the baby.
Fatty Acids: 3.8-4.2 per cent, including long-chain fatty acids like DHA (remember that from last week?). These are the fats that build a healthy brain, eyes, and nervous system. DHA (and ARA) are naturally present in human breast milk exclusively!
Carbohydrates: 7 per cent, primarily lactose, including over 200 complex sugars (oligosaccharides) that feed the healthy bacteria in the gut.
Proteins: 0.9 per cent, made up of more than 1000 special proteins to create a strong brain and immune system, as well as muscles, tissues, and enzymes.
The rest of human breast milk is comprised of:
Enzymes: more than 40, which act as chemical catalysts in the body, breaking foods down and aiding in absorption and immunity.
Hormones: special chemical messengers that help baby bond with the mom and regulate things like sleep and appetite.
Live cells: millions of them, including stem cells and white blood cells that help organs develop and heal where needed.
Antibodies: to protect the baby against viruses and bacteria that the mom has come into contact with.
Good bacteria: breast milk contains around 800 strains of bacteria that help inoculate the microbiome of the baby and ensure the digestive system is strong and healthy for proper immunity. Source
MicroRNAs: 1,400 actually, to help with gene expression and immune system development.
Vitamins and Minerals: in exactly the ratio needed for proper growth and development.
Colostrum: a special fluid that comes in before milk to help the baby develop a strong immune system and to help seal the baby’s digestive system. It also contains extra fat-soluble vitamins A, E, and K, as well as proteins - to give the baby a boost. This special milk usually lasts up to 5 days, then transitions to normal milk from then to day 14.
As you can see, human breast milk is very unique and is absolutely the first suggestion that any health practitioner should make for a baby’s physical and emotional development. This should be exclusive for the first six months while the baby’s digestive system is coated and sealed before introducing other foods, then as a sort of liquid multivitamin and to facilitate bonding for one-two years optimally.
Physicians who advise mothers that their milk is inadequate for baby’s development (except in very rare cases where the mom is unable to produce healthy milk due to her own health issues) are absolutely misinformed. This is not surprising since doctors today study little about human nutritional health in favour of disease management instead.
Very frequently, I receive calls from distressed mothers, worried they are not making enough milk for their baby or that it’s not filling enough. However, this is usually unfounded. The more the baby suckles, the more a healthy breast produces. It is true that the nutrient density of breast milk cannot exceed the nutritional status of the mother; thus, a nursing mother needs to pay attention to her diet and take in adequate proteins, healthy fats, electrolytes, water, and calories. It is not uncommon for nursing mothers to have hair fall, vision disturbances, sleep problems, emotional fatigue, and physical weakness due to the sheer nutrients being sucked out of her! In such cases, nutritional smoothies containing an all-in-one protein powder, fruit, probiotic milk, and greens are advisable. Adding beef liver to the diet - either fresh or in supplement form - will also help exponentially with energy and skin/ eye/ nervous system health due to its high content of fat-soluble vitamins.
Cow and Goat Milk
The milk of other mammals is often considered the second-best option when a mother’s milk is insufficient or unavailable for any reason. It is a natural, nourishing food made to grow offspring. However, there are some key differences to make a note of. First, today it is not recommended that babies under 12 months are given cow or goat milk as a substitute for breast milk because they are insufficient, nutritionally speaking. In my grandmother’s day, this was done, but today it is considered dangerous. To better understand the nutritional differences, there is a handy chart found here.
The current recommendation is that babies use commercial baby formulas instead. There are cow/goat-based formulas, and I feel they are superior to soy-based ones. But they are not the best choice. Of course, there are many doctors that recommend soy-based formulas filled with corn syrup, processed foods and vitamins, and GMO, glyphosate-sprayed soy. I am not in agreement with that recommendation and don’t doubt that it’s part of the reason for childhood obesity and premature hormonal maturity, among other things. The best infant formula recipe I have yet to come across if you can’t feed breast milk for the first year of life is:
- Two cups full-fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
- Half a cup coconut water (unsweetened)
- One tbsp collagen hydrolysate
- Three oz filtered water, but not reverse osmosis
- One-fourth tsp unflavored cod liver oil
- One-fourth tsp nutritional yeast
- Two capsules of desiccated liver, opened and poured out
- Four tbsp natural maple syrup
- One-fourth tsp bifidobacterium Infantis
- One tbsp grass-fed or organic butter, melted
All you do is blend these ingredients on high speed for two minutes and store them in the fridge for up to three days, heating them as needed for the baby.
After the first year of life, when it’s safe to give cow or goat milk, neither will give the baby all the immune-boosting antibodies of human milk, and neither contains DHA and ARA, those important, essential fatty acids for the brain, eye, and nervous system development! The lactose in cow’s milk is different and more difficult to digest and does not contain the oligosaccharides to protect the digestive system. Additionally, both cow’s and goat’s milk have higher protein content, with proteins that are much harder to digest and harder for the kidneys to filter.
There is also a type of protein in cow’s milk that can trigger allergies. “Human milk is less allergenic … The lactoalbumin in human milk is best tolerated, but people who are allergic to the lactoalbumin in cow's milk may still be able to drink goat’s milk.” Source
This is to say that sometimes when a baby can’t have human milk and is intolerant to cow’s milk, s/he may be able to tolerate goat’s milk. Goat milk has a superior nutritional profile, but again, this is after the first year of life. It’s recommended that in the first 12 months, babies use milk formula rather than alternative milk alone to ensure proper development. There are important nutrients that are lacking and others that are imbalanced.
After one year of age, it’s considered safe to use non-formula milk like goat’s milk, but the recommendation is that it’s pasteurized, so there are no ‘dangerous’ living vitamins or bacteria in it. Babies are more susceptible to illness from bacteria than those with mature digestive systems. You may also want to try A2 cow’s milk. It’s far easier for many to digest than our typical (A1) milk and less allergenic. You can find it at health food stores around larger cities.
Rice Milk
Rice milk is a highly processed, commercial food, not in any way natural. It usually consists of brown rice, water, brown rice syrup (sugar), plant-based oils (highly processed and inflammatory), and sweeteners or flavourings such as vanilla. Rice milk may or may not be fortified with synthetic forms of micronutrients, such as vitamin B12, calcium, or vitamin D. It does not contain the essential fatty acids an infant needs nor the nutrients. Additionally, I agree with grandma. It’s way too high in sugar and is a very high glycemic food. Using this as a substitute for milk will set the baby up for mood swings and sugar cravings and dental issues, and ultimately, type II diabetes.
I’d fire that naturopath.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is far more natural than rice or nut or soy-based milks - if you get one that’s organic and is just composed of coconut and water. It should not contain sweeteners or preservatives. Coconut milk contains more healthy fats and nutrients than rice milk. However, these nutrients are not optimal for a baby or infant in the first year to two years of life. The best coconut milk to give to a baby or infant is the recipe above. It’s nutritionally complete and will likely help the baby to overcome her milk allergies in the long run, as it builds a healthy gut and immune system, which is compromised in allergies.
Thank you, concerned grandma, for writing in with such an important question. I agree with your concerns and hope this has answered your question. As always, if you have your own health issue or question, just send me an email at [email protected]. And if you’re looking for more specific health information, check out my website at hopenotdope.ca.
Namaste!
Nonie Nutritionista
