Q&A with consultant dietitian Helen Bond about milk - ANSWERS BACK

[RachelMumsnet]

Does cows' milk not suit you and your family? Are you looking for an alternative?

This week we are inviting you to send in your questions to consultant dietitian Helen Bond. Helen is a state registered dietitian and operates her own practice in Derbyshire. Send your question about milk to Helen before the end of Friday 29 June and we'll link to her answers on Thursday 12 July.

This Q&A is sponsored by St Helen's Farm
St Helen's Farm is the leading goats' milk dairy in the UK and has been farming since 1986 and is based in 500 acres in East Yorkshire, where it cares for its herd of goats and operates a modern dairy, using 100% fresh British goats' Milk.

Last summer my daughter (aged 8) picked up a bad tummy upset whilst on holiday in Tuscany. Ever since then, whenever she has cow?s milk to drink or on her cereal it seems to trigger a relapse of stomach cramp and other digestive problems. I have tried all sorts of alternative milks (some of which are frankly yuck!) she prefers goat?s milk and it doesn?t upset her stomach. However I have been whether she is missing out on any nutrition by not drinking cow?s milk, especially calcium as I know it is so important for girls.

Drinking another mammals milk is repulsive and nutritionally unnecessary.

Why do we do it?

Silbury

Drinking another mammals milk is repulsive and nutritionally unnecessary.

In your view.

Why do we do it?

Would you like the prehistorical and evolutionary background, or were you asking a rhetorical question?

DS got terrible stomach cramps when he drank cows' milk. I often wonder if it's because I FF him (no choice, he's adopted). I switched him to goats' milk at 11.5 months and he's been fine ever since (apart from when he's stayed at other people's houses and eaten cereal with cows' milk).

He's strong and fit, has good teeth and strong bones (plays rugby!), and the eczema and upper respiratory problems he suffered with as an infant, disappeared at the same time as we changed milk... but that could be a coincidence.

I am breast feeding and have found that when I have dairy products my 5 month old DS suffers with bad trapped wind and stomach pains so I have cut it out of my diet and he is now a lot better.

My question is, is this reaction now likely to carry on as he gets older ? I.e. will he have a reaction to cows milk at 12 months plus?

Thanks

I read in a book written by a dietitian (from the States) that about 90% (or around that) of people of East Asian descent are not able to digest milk properly because they do not have the gene for it. Do you know any more about that? What are the signs of lactose intolerance? And if the signs are mild or not very debilitating, should I cut out milk and dairy products altogether or is it okay to have some? (That would be a difficult thing to do as I adore dairy...) FYI I am of East Asian descent but my DCs are mixed race - their dad is white.

I wouldn't say it is repulsive but drinking the milk of another species isn't what nature intended.

We don't drink milk. All that oestrogen can't be good and do most people know what happens to the bull calves? So my question is, why do you think milk is necessary?

I want to try veganism for a bit, what calcium sources are best instead of cow's milk? I've heard a lot about synthetic vitamins/minerals being of no use to the body as they are not absorbed. How can you tell if a calcium supplement is a good one? Are there any particular vegetables that provide lots of calcium?

I'm currently 37 weeks pregnant and craving milk and yoghurt, I literally can't get enough and must be drinking at least three pints a day, my appetite has really decreased so I'm only managing very small meals, is it okay to drink this much on a daily basis? I do wonder if it's a case of the more I have the more I seem to want, aside from calcium is there any other specific nutritional benefit that my body is in need of hence the constant craving. Thanks

I'm with Silbury. Drinking the milk of another species is incredibly bad for us.

The claims by goats' milk manufacturers don't stand up to scrutiny. It has virtually the same lactose content as cows' milk; it is unlikely to be less allergenic and also, just like cows' milk, goats' milk contains growth factor IGF-1 and oestrogen - both of which can increase the risk of certain cancers. Goats' milk is also high in saturated fat and generally contains a higher amount of somatic cells than cows' milk. In other words contains even more pus. Yuck!

If you are looking to cut cows' milk out of your diet do yourself - and the goats - a favour and reach for the soya, rice or oat milk instead!

The goats' milk industry is an abomination, involving death, mutilation (such as castration and disbudding) and disease (not to mention the pus, fat and cancer promoters).

Many people switch from cows' milk to goat because they think it's more humane. The irony is that all the problems that exist to produce cows' milk exist in goat farming, too. Mothers and kids are separated after a few days so her milk can be taken. Females are used to replenish the herd, but males can't produce milk - they are either killed at birth or kept for meat for the growing ethnic market. Almost all kid goats suffer at least one painful mutilation - and often without anaesthetic.

Worried about zero-grazing for cows? It's already here for goats. Many herds run to over a thousand animals and these inquisitive, fun loving animals are increasingly housed all year round in intensive sheds.

Many goat herds in Britain now run to the thousands.

Sunnymogsy, try here for veg calcium info.

My 22 month old dd has been diagnosed with an allergy to dairy wheat and egg. I breast fed her until 11 months because of it, tried her on formula at 4 months to prepare for going back to work and her reaction was scary. Worryingly was made to feel like a bad mum early on as her weight gain was so poor - typical symptom of a milk allergy baby! Thank goodness she was baby number 2.

I often worry about her diet and obviously calcium is a concern. She is currently on neonate advance, and I know that's expensive but she seems to have eczema flare ups with soya milk, oat milk and rice milk. Feel a bit concerned and whilst we are finally in the system we feel on our own to deal with it day 2 day,
Thanks any support would be great

Should a medical professional be taking part in such a biased sponsored event and presenting their responses as scientific fact. As I presume that is what you are going to do?

My question is, how do you respond to the post by BodenBoredom?

BodenBoredom, how do you propose a fostered or adopted baby is fed? Are the alternatives you suggest suitable for infants?

I'm not being rude... we've had fantastic results with goats' milk (see post at 16:46:22). I'm just a bit confused about the welfare aspect. I always imagined (but didn't check!) that it would be less intensive than traditional dairy farming.

My question is has shockers heard of Human Milk 4 Human Babies or Wet Nurse UK on Facebook? There are plenty of mothers willing to donate milk to or wet nurse adopted babies.

And agree with all the other negative posts.

Or you could try inducing lactation yourself, by the way. More likely to get a full supply if you've been pregnant before, but even if you haven't you may well be able to get at least a partial supply.

After suffering badly from reflux as a baby, my daughter has not had any cow's milk or other dairy product since the age of six months. The paediatrician suggested she may suffer from an eosinophilic disorder. She had Neocate formula until the age of two and currently drinks oat milk, which we also use on cereal and in cooking. Currently, at the age of 27 months, she is not suffering from any symptoms so I am considering trying a reintroduction to dairy products. When/how should I try this? Is it better to try products such as cheese or yoghurt first?

shockers, for any infant I'd recommend breastmilk (from a Bank, if necessary) or non-dairy milks. There is even a 'Junior' brand of soya milk on the market now, by Alpro. The only non-dairy milk I wouldn't give to an infant is rice milk, but otherwise, soya, oat, hemp, almond, hazelnut etc milks are all great - especially the brands fortified with vitamin D and calcium. There are plenty of dairy-free alternative margarines too, of course. The much-needed calories, protein, calcium and iron for an infant can easily and healthily be obtained without dairy products. :)

MNHQ, I really think it inappropriate for a 'scientific' Discussion about milk to be sponsored by the UK's largest goat milk farm.

My daughter is 10months and has milk,wheat and egg allergy
She is now on neocate lcp - how much shoudl she be drinking a day (she's not that keen on any milk has self weaned this week !) i can only get about 12oz into her.
What milk could she move onto at 12 months instead of formula ?

shockers, this investigation into the goats' milk industry might be of interest.

@BodenBoredom

shockers, for any infant I'd recommend breastmilk (from a Bank, if necessary) or non-dairy milks. There is even a 'Junior' brand of soya milk on the market now, by Alpro. The only non-dairy milk I wouldn't give to an infant is rice milk, but otherwise, soya, oat, hemp, almond, hazelnut etc milks are all great - especially the brands fortified with vitamin D and calcium. There are plenty of dairy-free alternative margarines too, of course. The much-needed calories, protein, calcium and iron for an infant can easily and healthily be obtained without dairy products. :)

MNHQ, I really think it inappropriate for a 'scientific' Discussion about milk to be sponsored by the UK's largest goat milk farm.

Q&As are regularly sponsored and when this happens we always make this clear. Our policy is that we only choose Q&As on subjects that we think will be of interest to mumsnetters and that the expert or person answering the questions is not allowed to plug their own products/ or show any bias. When we set this Q&A up we envisaged this being a general foody discussion but we can see the questions some of you have asked have changed that emphasis slightly. The Q&A closes on Friday and we'll await the answers.

@RachelMumsnet the question 'does cows milk not suit you and your family' implies that you are inviting questions about dietry requirements.

PLus ther is a dietician implying that she is oging ot be suggesting the nutritional superiority of goats milk, which is quite frankly a bit odd.

For those suggesting breastmilk from a bank for fostered children... good luck with getting that past SS. Similarly veggie based milks without approval from their in care paediatrician. I may or may not agree with this, but that's the way it is.