African-American teenagers who are pregnant and don’t consume enough dairy products may endanger the early bone development of their babies, according to a study.
The study involved 350 African-American girls aged 17 years or younger who received prenatal care between 1990 and 2000. The teens’ calcium intake was estimated based on their daily intake of dairy products, and they were given sonograms 20 to 34 weeks into their pregnancies. This allowed researchers to observe markers of fetal development, including the length of the fetal femur, the longest bone in the body.
Results indicated that the length of the fetal femur was shorter among girls who ate fewer than two servings of dairy a day, as compared to girls who ate three or more servings.
The association remained even after other factors, such as the mother’s height and weight, were accounted for.
Most of the girls did not meet the recommended daily calcium intake of 1,300 milligrams, which is recommended for all adolescents.
Further, the teens who ate more dairy products also tended to have higher levels of other nutrients, such as protein, vitamin A and iron.
Researchers suggest that physicians should educate teens about optimal nutrition during pregnancy. If a girl doesn’t have enough calcium in her body, and many teenage girls do not, she and the fetus may have to compete for the calcium that’s available.
Inadequate nutrition during pregnancy could lead to health problems for both the infant and mother in later life, researchers noted.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition May 2003;77:1248-1254
Milk is one of the most profoundly healthy foods you can consume. The only problem is that it should not be the commercially available dairy.
Prior to last year I recommended that nearly everyone avoid milk, but this was because I was not aware of the major differences between raw and pasteurized milk. Once milk is heated (pasteurized), the very perishable proteins it contains (primarily casein) can be irreversibly altered to change its shape to one that will actually promote disease, food sensitivities, intolerance and autoimmune disease.
If this information is startling to you then you will want to read the links below.
Once you are convinced of the value of real raw milk, the next challenge will be to find a farmer who is willing to sell it to you. Sales of raw milk are legal in 28 out of 50 U.S. states.
If you live in an area where sales of raw milk are illegal, you do have some options. Many have gotten around this challenge by stating they were using the raw milk as pet food, or actually developing a legal formal arrangement. In this arrangement, known as a cow share program, people actually purchase part ownership of the cow and therefore are exempted from the sales restriction, since they partially own the animal.
Check out this link to find out what states, according to the surveys they cite, permit (and prohibit) the sale of raw milk:
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Why You Don’t Want to Drink Pasteurized Milk
More Reasons Why You Don’t Want to Drink Pasteurized Milk
Major Confusion Between Organic and Healthy
Don't Drink Your Milk!