Effects of Consuming Dairy on Children’s Health

Effects of Consuming Dairy on Children’s Health

Dr. Davidson illustrates the effects of consuming dairy on children’s health, highlighting some of the many health problems associated with the consumption of dairy products in children (and adults) and debunks false advertisements claiming health benefits from the consumption of dairy products.  The negative effects of consuming dairy on children’s health is due to a number of deleterious compounds found in dairy products. To give one example, casomorphins (opiate-like peptides produced by cow’s milk) from the cow’s milk protein beta-casein may contribute to the cause of such conditions as autism, crib death, type I diabetes, postpartum psychosis, circulatory disorders, and food allergies.  Research indicates that delayed psychomotor development and muscle spasticity is associated with elevated levels of bovine casomorphin found in cow’s milk-based formula-fed infants.  Delayed psychomotor development and diseases such as autism may be partly caused by the inability of some infants to adequately eliminate bovine casomorphin.  Dr. Davidson also reminds us that foods are composed of hundreds or thousands of different compounds and the effect on health from consuming a food will be determined by the interaction of these compounds with the body.  Thus, if a food has a few beneficial nutrients but also many harmful compounds, the total effect of the food on the body is very likely to be harmful.  Dr. Davidson dispells some of the myths regarding dairy products, showing that the calcium and probiotics found in fermented dairy products like yogurt and Kefir are of no benefit and that the sum total effect of consuming dairy on human health is highly deleterious.

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For more info on pediatric nutrition, check out my other videos:

Are California Children Healthy?

Dehydration in School-Aged Children

Sources Cited:

• Sun Z, Zhang Z, Wang X, Cade R, Elmir Z, Fregly M. Relation of beta-casomorphin to apnea in sudden infant death syndrome. Peptides. 2003 Jun;24(6):937-43.
• Fiedorowicz E, Jarmołowska B, Iwan M, Kostyra E, Obuchowicz R, Obuchowicz M. The influence of μ-opioid receptor agonist and antagonist peptides on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Peptides. 2011 Apr;32(4):707-12.
• Kost NV, Sokolov OY, Kurasova OB, Dmitriev AD, Tarakanova JN, Gabaeva MV, Zolotarev YA, Dadayan AK, Grachev SA, Korneeva EV, Mikheeva IG, Zozulya AA. Beta-casomorphins-7 in infants on different type of feeding and different levels of psychomotor development. Peptides. 2009 Oct;30(10):1854-60