Meat Based-Diet Can Help Growth In Infants, Says New Study
It’s a common debate when it comes to properly feeding a baby when they’re developing. A new study suggests that formula and baby foods are important for a baby to be healthy and to receive the proper nutrition, but meat should also be added in their diet.
The lead author of the study is Minghua Tang, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Denver-Anschutz has published his findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. He argues that infants that reach five months can also eat foods like meat and dairy in a puree form:
“Our research suggests introducing higher amounts of protein and introducing meat, such as pork, into the diet at five months could be potentially beneficial for linear growth (length gain).”
The majority of babies can eat solid foods starting with 4-6 months and that’s when some women also stop breastfeeding them. It’s also the time when babies no longer push food with their mouths, learning to move food to the back of their mouths and then swallow it.
A Seven-Month Study – Adding Meat and Dairy to the Babies’ Diet
The study lasted for seven months and it was conducted on a small group of healthy babies. They were given formula and complementary food based on meat (pureed beef and ham). They also received dairy-based foods in the period of 5-12 months of age. Before the experiment, their daily intake of proteins was of 2 grams per kg and in during the experiment it was increased to 3 grams per kg. Despite the protein was increased, the fat and calories in the meat and dairy products remained the same.
The findings were seen in time, over seven months of study, showing that the infants who consumed meat in their diet grew almost one inch with no indication or risk of becoming overweight.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.
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