3 Reasons to Drop Dairy From Your Child’s Diet

There are so many reasons why dairy may not be good for you or your child. One reason is that it can cause damage to your skin by causing reactions and breakouts, which can cause insecurities. Another reason is that dairy can cause digestive issues. Some people are lactose intolerant so consuming dairy can cause extreme stomach aches, diarrhea, and vomiting. Another reason why dairy may not be good for you is because it can lead to certain medical issues, especially in young children. Unfortunately dairy can lead to arthritis.

Cow's Milk And Its Risk

If it’s a mammal, 9 times out of 10, it can produce milk. Dairy milk comes from cows, sheep, goats and buffaloes but the most common and purchased one is cow milk.

For some people, cow milk may not bother them when consumed because their body can tolerate it. For others, cow milk may be the biggest enemy they have ever faced. Whole milk has high saturated fat content, so consuming too much whole milk can cause weight gain because of the extra calories.

Another not-so-fun fact about cow milk is that it’s usually sourced from cows who are pregnant. When a cow is pregnant and being used for milk, the milk now contains a bunch of hormones, which can lead to abnormal or excessive hormone growth in you if consumed often.

You’ve also probably seen the “Got Milk” campaign for years now, pushing the narrative that cow milk helps with bone health, but unfortunately, there’s not enough evidence to prove that theory. In fact, cow milk can cause potential harm with conditions such as prostate cancer and these risks can affect your children just as much as they can affect you.

How This Can Affect Your Child’s Development

Giving your child whole milk can lead to problems with their development. Children should be breastfed or given formula for at least the first 12 months of age. Giving a child whole milk anytime before that can lead to complications with their digestive and immune system.

Whole milk can cause rectal bleeding in infants because it irritates the lining of the stomach and intestines.

Whole milk also does not give babies the nutrients they need for proper development because it lacks iron, vitamin C, and other important nutrients.

Cow milk does not contain any of the healthy fats that babies and children need and it can also lead to juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

What JIV Can Lead To

JIV or juvenile idiopathic arthritis is arthritis that develops in children. It is an autoimmune disease meaning that the immune system is attacking itself.

Arthritis of any kind causes joint swelling due to inflammation and joint stiffness so a child with JIV will experience this. It can affect multiple joints at a time in children 16 and younger. Though children can outgrow this arthritis, if developed, they will experience problems with their bone development.

It can also lead to slow growth, eye inflammation, constant joint pain, struggles with weight gain, psoriatic arthritis, worsening arthritis or even issues with the kidney, heart and endocrine system later on down the line.

Even if you aren’t outright feeding your child whole milk in a bottle, giving them whole milk in their cereal or feeding them dairy often can lead to these medical issues as well.

Better Alternatives That Get The Job Done

For infants, you should be giving them breast milk and or formula. For children 12 months and older, if they do not have an intolerance to lactose, then giving them other forms of cow milk such as skim, reduced fat, low fat and lactose-free milk every so often can be beneficial in the prevention of growth development risk, and the risk of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Using different forms of milk such as soy, almond, oat milk, and other forms of plant milk can get the job done as well. Usually, they have more nutrients that will aid in the development of children and even help you as an adult with your health.

You always want the best and want to protect your child, so starting with what they consume can help you do just that.