Is High Milk Intake Good for Children's Health? A National Population-Based Observational Cohort Study

Plant-Based Milk Consumption and Growth in Children 1-10 Years of Age

BACKGROUND

The effects of plant-based milk consumption on the growth of children are unclear.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to evaluate the relationship between plant-based milk consumption and BMI in childhood. Secondary objectives were to examine the association with height and whether these relationships are mediated by dairy milk intake and modified by age or the type of plant-based milk consumed.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was conducted in healthy children aged 1-10 y through the TARGet Kids! primary care research network in Toronto, Canada. Linear mixed-effect modeling and logistic generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the association between plant-based milk consumption (number of 250 mL cups/d) and BMI. A mediation analysis was conducted to examine whether dairy milk intake mediated these relationships. Effect modification by age and type of plant-based milk was explored.

RESULTS

Among 7195 children (mean age: 3.1 y; 52.3% male), higher plant-based milk consumption was associated with lower BMI (P = 0.0002) and height (P = 0.005). No association was found with BMI categories. Lower dairy milk intake partially mediated these relationships. A child aged 5 y who consumed 3 cups of plant-based milk compared with 3 cups of dairy milk had a lower weight of 0.5 kg and lower height of 0.8 cm. Associations did not change over time and were similar for children who consumed soy milk compared with other plant-based milks.

CONCLUSIONS

Plant-based milk consumption was associated with lower BMI and height, but both were within the normal range on average. Future longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether these associations persist over time.

Dairy consumption and liver cancer risk: A meta‑analysis of observational studies

The connection between the consumption of dairy products and the risk of developing primary liver cancer (PLC) remains unclear. The present study performed a comprehensive meta-analysis with the aim of providing evidence for any connection between the risk of developing PLC and the consumption of dairy products. For this purpose, eligible studies were screened from the PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase databases before December 2022. A total of 10 cohort studies and 8 case-control studies were included, making a total of 18 studies with 6,562,714 participants and 7,970 PLC cases. The relative risks (RRs) for milk and yogurt were 1.38 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-1.77] and 0.49 (95% CI, 0.27-0.91), which revealed a positive and negative association, respectively, with the risk of developing PLC. There was no association between total dairy (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.84-1.30) or cheese and curd (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.87-1.27) consumption and the risk of developing PLC. On the whole, the findings of the present study demonstrated that high milk consumption was associated with a higher risk of developing PLC, while by contrast, yogurt consumption was associated with a lower risk of developing PLC. Consequently, further studies are required to further examine this association.

Nutritional Facts and Health/Nutrition Claims of Commercial Plant-Based Infant Foods: Where Do We Stand?

One of the current drivers of the infant food market is the rising demand for vegan products, and thus accurate knowledge of their nutritional composition is required to guide parents and health professionals. Thus, this study aimed to assess the nutritional composition of commercial plant-based infant foods, in addition to analyzing their health/nutrition claims. A selection of infant products launched in the global market (2017–2021) were classified into eight types and each type was divided into vegan and vegetarian products. Based on the ingredients list, cereals, seeds, pseudocereals and/or pulses were the most used ingredients in the retrieved products. The nutritional composition of six out eight types varied significantly among vegan and vegetarian products. When protein, calcium and iron contents differed significantly, vegan products had the highest protein content in all categories, compared to those that were vegetarian. When significant differences were found in sugar content, vegan products have lower amounts in all categories, compared to vegetarian products. Health and nutrition claims were found mostly used in vegetarian products. Strategies to reduce added sodium and sugar, and saturated fatty acids is required to ensure a healthy diet for infants. This study also implies the importance of a complete labelling of infants’ foods, especially vegan products to help parents making a reasonable choice.