Pediatric nutritionist warns: nearly 50% of children do not get enough nutrients
According to NielsenIQ's report on the liquid milk market in Vietnam from September 2022 to August 2023, the yogurt and fruit milk industry increased by more than 26%; while the liquid milk industry decreased by 8% in sales. This is also evidence of the sad reality that although the word "milk" is in the name, the products do not necessarily have the same nutritional value.
Some studies show that children who drink soft drinks containing a lot of sugar will have a negative impact on the development of bones and teeth, causing negative consequences for health. The high amount of sugar in fruit juice and soft drinks containing milk also increases bad fat in the blood and increases visceral fat, which can cause fatty liver in children and other consequences. Perhaps that is why after a long time of giving your child soft drinks containing milk, you only see your child gaining weight, sometimes overweight, obese but not growing in height.
Nutrition expert Nguyen Thi Thu Hau warns of the risks when children do not get enough nutrients.
Regarding this issue, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hau - Head of the Department of Nutrition at Children's Hospital 2 has some more to share. The development process of children must be provided with enough energy through essential nutrient groups. Especially protein, especially valuable protein from milk protein, has high biological value, which is very necessary for the development of muscles, internal protein, bones and joints, etc. In addition, minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamins in the right proportions will help children develop optimal height. Therefore, providing excess energy from carbohydrates alone will not help children's bodies to be healthy and develop comprehensively.
Dr. Hau also shared: calcium and vitamin D in milk for good calcium absorption and participation in immune function are also important for children's development. However, the SEANUTS II study - a Southeast Asian nutrition survey that collected data on nearly 14,000 children aged six months to 12 years in 2022 - showed that more than 70% of children did not meet the average calcium requirement and more than 84% did not meet the average vitamin D requirement.
Not to mention that fruit juices containing milk are very addictive to children because they are sweet and have many different flavors. This is the reason why many children only like to drink yogurt or fruit juice with milk. Parents change to other types but do not drink them because they do not like them.
Doctor's advice: 2.7 grams of protein is a prerequisite for choosing the right standard milk
So how to choose liquid milk for children? For children over 1 year old, who can start using fresh milk in their daily milk regimen, we must choose the right liquid milk (fresh milk or reconstituted/sterilized milk), or ready-to-mix formula milk (following the prescribed standards and having a note on the age of use). Parents should only choose the type of liquid milk that has a protein content of at least 2.7 grams/100ml. This is the standard for truly nutritious liquid milk according to the regulations of the Ministry of Health. Among the countless substances, QCVN 5-1:2010/BYT only chooses to evaluate the protein content because this is the most important index and helps to evaluate the dilution level of milk and liquid milk-containing drinks. Moreover, this is also a type A index, meaning "must be tested to evaluate compliance". Doctor Thu Hau also shared that the protein requirement for children from 4 to 6 years old is 20-30gr/day. If parents give their children 3 boxes of standard milk, it will ensure 50-70% of the daily protein requirement (~15gr of protein with high biological value) and 70-80% of the calcium requirement and important minerals for bone development.
Standard milk must have a protein content of 2.7 grams/100ml, according to the standards of the Ministry of Health.
Despite knowing the above, consumers are actually facing countless sales traps when buying milk: assuming that all milk products on sale are standard milk. In fact, there are many soft drinks containing milk. But no, there is the word "milk" but the milk content is very low, protein and calcium are very low (compared to the standards of the Ministry of Health). Therefore, consumers must be provided with full information to avoid confusion when choosing for their children. Products related to children's health, especially products labeled "milk", need to have full, transparent and clear information, so that parents can base their purchasing decisions on it. They should not be "misled" by a series of additional information printed in large letters on the label.
Consumers need help choosing between different types of "milk-based beverages"
Dr. Thu Hau agrees that we need to take action to support consumers in choosing milk. Active coordination between the health and nutrition sectors and food manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, transparency in providing product information, as well as consumer awareness are essential factors for our children to enjoy the best nutritional and health care, ensuring the optimal development of future generations of the country.
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