American Academy of Pediatrics Endorses Ban on Sale of Unpasteurized Milk

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement strongly recommending that pregnant women, infants and young children should avoid raw or unpasteurized milk and milk products and only consume pasteurized products. They also endorse the ban on the sale of unpasteurized milk and milk products in the same statement.

Milk is pasteurized to get rid of disease causing pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.

Pasteurization is a process where milk is heated at a temperature of 72°C (161°F) for 15 seconds then immediately cooled. Another similar process is Ultra-high temperature processing (UHT) where the milk is exposed to a temperature of 138°C (280°F) for a minimum of two seconds.

Studies have shown that there is no difference in the levels of proteins, carbohydrates, calcium, vitamins and enzymes in both pasteurized and unpasteurized milk. Claims that unpasteurized milk is healthier and prevents lactose intolerance has not been substantiated by scientific studies.

In the early 20th century, tubercolosis was spread through the consumption of contaminated unpasteurized milk.

Other health organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), and the World Health Association (WHA) have also taken this stand on unpasteurized milk.

Aside From Chocolate, Milk Consuming Nations Have Higher Ratios Of Nobel Laureates Per Capita

Taking its cue from a study on chocolate consumption and Nobel Laureates, researchers also found a correlation between milk consumption and Nobel prize winners.

Last October 2012, an article on the New England Journal of Medicine pointed out the correlation between ca country's level of chocolate consumption and its population's cognitive function. Using the number of Nobel Laureates, the article found that the higher a country's chocolate consumption, the more Nobel laureates it has per capita.

Milk has been known to have a healthy and beneficial effect on brain development and performance. On January 2012, researchers at the University of Maine put more than 900 men and women ages 23 to 98 through a series of brain tests – including visual-spatial, verbal and working memory tests – and tracked the milk consumption habits of the participants. They found that those who drank at least one glass of milk a day had an advantage over those who did not regularly drink milk at all.

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal published an article in early 2008 concluding that there is ample biological evidence to suggest an important role for vitamin D in brain development and function.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends whole milk, usually 3.5% percent to 4% fat, for children up to age two because saturated fats are needed for brain development. But when obesity is a concern, the AAP recommends low-fat milk with no no more than 2% fat for 1-year-olds who are at risk of being obese.

Milk (from low fat to whole milk) contain an average of 27% of the daily requirement for Vitamin D.

Milk Ingredient, Nicotinamide Riboside, Protects Against Obesity

Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) is a nutrient found in milk. It is one of three substances known to provide a source for the production of Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+).

The two other sources of NAD+ are Nicotinic Acid (Na) and Nicotinamide (Nam). But NAD+ derived from milk's nicotinamide riboside appears to be the most promising for raising NAD+ in the brain.

NAD+ is a coenzyme found in all living cells. It is essential for life in all organisms, both as a coenzyme for oxidoreductases (an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of electrons from one molecule to another) and as a source of ADPribosyl groups used in various reactions, including those that retard aging in experimental systems.

Milk ingredient does a waistline good

A natural ingredient found in milk can protect against obesity even as mice continue to enjoy diets that are high in fat. The researchers who report their findings in the June Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, liken this milk ingredient to a new kind of vitamin.

"This is present in what we've all been eating since day one," says Johan Auwerx of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

The researchers identified this ingredient, known as nicotinamide riboside, as they were searching for alternative ways to boost the well-known gene SIRT1, which comes with benefits for both metabolism and longevity. One way to do that is to target SIRT1 directly, as the red wine ingredient resveratrol appears to do, at least at some doses.

Data Shows Restricting Use of Pacifier On Infants Reduces and Interferes With Breastfeeding

A pacifier is an artificial nipple made of rubber, plastic or silicon. It is given to an infant to suck upon as a temporary replacement for the mother's sore nipple, and helps the baby to relax and fall asleep.

A standard pacifier has a teat, mouth shield, and handle. The mouth shield and/or the handle is large enough to avoid the danger choking or accidental swallowing.

Studies show that the use of a pacifier reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) up to children one year old.

Common problems or developmental problems with the use of pacifiers are:

• Interference with breastfeeding
• Ear Infections
• Delayed speech development
• Dental problems

Researchers question pulling plug on pacifiers

Binkies, corks, soothers. Whatever you call pacifiers, conventional wisdom holds that giving them to newborns can interfere with breastfeeding.

New research, however, challenges that assertion. In fact, limiting the use of pacifiers in newborn nurseries may actually increase infants' consumption of formula during the birth hospitalization, according to a study to be presented Monday, April 30, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston.

Studies have shown that breastfed infants have fewer illnesses such as ear infections and diarrhea as well as a reduced risk of certain cancers, obesity and asthma. Moms benefit, too, from more rapid loss of pregnancy-associated weight gain, reduced risks of certain cancers and improved cardiovascular health. Based on that evidence, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

Findings Show Breastfeeding Beneficial to Infant's Immune System, Intestinal Stability, and Healthy Gut

Alveoli are cells inside the breast that makes milk. When a woman's breast becomes full and tender during pregnancy, it is a sign that the alveoli are getting ready to work.

These changes in the breast are sometimes not felt by the woman until the baby is born.

The alveoli make milk in response to the hormone prolactin. The levels of prolactin rises when the baby suckles.

Aside from this, oxytocin (another hormone), causes small muscles around the cells to contract. This allows the milk to move through a series of small tubes called milk ducts. This moving of the milk is called let-down reflex.

Oxytocin also causes the muscles of the uterus to contract during and after birth which lets the uterus go back to its original size. Oxytocin also lessens any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth. The release of both prolactin and oxytocin may be responsible in part for a mother’s intense feeling of needing to be with her baby.

Breastfeeding is associated with a healthy infant gut

Early colonization of the gut by microbes in infants is critical for development of their intestinal tract and in immune development. A new study, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology, shows that differences in bacterial colonization of formula-fed and breast-fed babies leads to changes in the infant's expression of genes involved in the immune system, and in defense against pathogens.

The health of individuals can be influenced by the diversity of microbes colonizing the gut, and microbial colonization can be especially important in regulating both intestinal and immune development in infants. However, little is known about the potential interactions between the host's health at a molecular level, their gut microbes, and diet.