For many decades, baby food manufacturers have been developing a formula close to the breast milk composition. But this has not yet been achieved. After all, breast milk is unique. It is perfectly balanced with all the nutrients necessary for the baby and a whole set of protective “mechanisms,” preventive and immunological plans, capable of protecting the baby’s health and developing its immune system.
Originally, baby formula was made only from powdered cow’s milk. However, with the development of modern technology, manufacturers began to produce baby formula suitable from birth, which is very close to breast milk. More and more parents prefer organic baby food as a source of clean and healthy nutrition for their babies. Let’s figure out how to choose the best organic baby formula?
What should be in the baby formula?
Casein and whey proteins are the main proteins of goat’s or cow’s milk. They are the basis of the building material for the baby’s body and a catalyst for various biochemical processes. Moreover, from birth to 6 months of age, baby formula mainly contains whey proteins, and infant formula for babies older than 6 months contains casein.
Taurin is the amino acid that a growing baby needs to develop the central nervous system and vision properly.
Lactose (Dairy Sugar) is an essential element in a baby’s diet until 12 months. The fact is that lactose promotes better absorption of iron and calcium by the child’s body, which are necessary for the baby’s proper development. In addition, it improves digestion, provides energy for the baby’s body, and creates favorable conditions for the development of the gut microbiome.
Linoleic acid is a fatty acid vital to the formation of the human brain and the formation of the eye’s retina. In ordinary foods, it is found in sunflower, coconut, soy, and corn oils.
What to watch out for in the baby formula?
Sugar
For infants, sugar can be quite a dangerous ingredient. As it turned out, this substance provokes a lack of B vitamins in babies` bodies, which are essential for normal digestion and absorption of carbohydrate-containing products. In addition, sugar changes the ratio of calcium and phosphorus in the blood of newborns, increasing the level of one of them (namely calcium) and reducing the content of the other. Such a disorder leads to a lack of calcium absorption in the body in the proper amount. This trace element is either washed out of the body with urine or forms deposits in the soft tissues.
Soy
The debate about the harms and benefits of soy has been going on for quite some time. But, no matter what arguments “for” and “against” are given, one thing is clear: baby food should not contain genetically modified soy in any case! Adults can experiment on their health as much as they want, but babies definitely should not be put at risk!
As for natural soy, parents should not give healthy babies soy nutrition as well – it is a purely therapeutic food, and only a pediatrician should prescribe it to a baby and no one else.
