Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

cbc.ca

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 76 posts

Re: 3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

#11

Post by llovan »

The average height has been increasing steadily all over the world for the last century or so, perhaps since industrialization. Though malnourishment played a part in not letting people reach their genetic potential in height, there is evidence linking taller heights with disease such as cancer and shorter lifespans.

I do not think it has been conclusively proven that taller statures are desirable. I would think adequate nutrient intake from a variety of food sources that leads to a sufficient and healthy height would be better than attempting to maximize for greater height at the expense of health in later years.

Re: 3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

#12

Post by Swizec »

schoen wrote: post #2

Some non-dairy milks are labeled "not a substitute for infant formula". This is important because infants fed them in place of formula or breast milk have suffered severe malnutrition and even died. Babies' and small children's nutritional requirements are different from adults'. This study is looking at "children aged two to six" (ages at which formula or breast milk would no longer be necessary to sustain life), an…

> while apparently for particular purposes non-dairy milks are starting out at a disadvantage even if they have some health benefits in other ways

It's almost like alternative milks have around 30 calories per cup and real milk has 160 calories. That's a huge difference because you're likely to give your child "a glass of milk", not ask them to drink 5 glasses because the alt milk has basically no nutritional value.

Source: my gf swears by alt milks so I have a fridge full of them. I borrow them sometimes when I run out of real milk.

PS: Yes I'm comparing to "full" fat 3.5% milk. Not that watered down stuff that seems to be super popular for some reason. And while I'd love to use real full fat milk, 3.5% is the most I have easy access to in the absence of owning a cow.

Re: 3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

#13

Post by ovao »

wslh wrote: post #8

Take it anecdotically or not. My two daughters almost never consumed milk because of allergies and have an average height and will be taller than their past generations women.

I believe the only possible way to take that is anecdotally.

Re: 3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

#14

Post by empath75 »

It's sort of criminal that they're even allowed to label bean juice as milk.

Im not 100% convinced of the necessity of drinking milk or that height is particularly a good proxy for health as a metric.

But vegans should be under no illusions that almond milk or soy milk is any kind of milk substitute. And if they're giving it to infants instead of breastfeeding or formula, it's borderline neglect.

I think that there a valid uses for them - soy milk is good for lower calorie lattes for example, and almond milk is delicious in oatmeal. But as a source of nutrition for growing children, they're pretty poor.

Re: 3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

#15

Post by imron »

llovan wrote: post #11

The average height has been increasing steadily all over the world for the last century or so, perhaps since industrialization. Though malnourishment played a part in not letting people reach their genetic potential in height, there is evidence linking taller heights with disease such as cancer and shorter lifespans. I do not think it has been conclusively proven that taller statures are desirable. I would think adeq…

> I do not think it has been conclusively proven that taller statures are desirable

Not conclusively proven but there have been studies done that suggest taller people earn more money [0].

Taller people are also generally considered more attractive.

So there are at least 2 factors where taller people have an advantage in life.

0: http://www.businessinsider.com/tall-people-are-richer-and-su...

Re: 3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

#16

Post by eagsalazar2 »

Lumping all of soy, rice, almond, goat milk as "non-cow" is pretty unfair to goat milk.

Does their study indicate all milks in "other" independently showed similar difference in height of 1.5cm? Or are they saying the average for all other was -1.5cm in which case maybe kids on almond milk were -2cm and breast milk +1cm? And goat's milk some third number? My strong hunch is it is the latter in which case the 1.5cm is completely meaningless.

Here is another clue, the one example they give of nutritional differences cites soy milk's low protein while failing to mention that goat's milk has more protein than cow's milk.

Didn't read the original research but either the research is bad and possibly biased or this is very misleading reporting.

[edit] removed mention of breast milk since article didn't say that

Re: 3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

#17

Post by elif »

soofaloofa wrote: post #10
marricks wrote: post #3

Is shorter always bad? With all the growth hormones given to cows it'd make sense some would go through to the milk and likely affect kids, wouldn't really be a good thing...

Growth hormones are banned on Canadian dairy farms.

Artificial growth hormones may be banned, but endogenous ones[0] are unavoidable. Cow's milk evolved to make calves grow, this is not an avoidable minutia when attempting to comparatively characterize milk alternatives as stunting growth, but likely the central finding.

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_somatotropin

Re: 3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

#18

Post by emmelaich »

wslh wrote: post #8

Take it anecdotically or not. My two daughters almost never consumed milk because of allergies and have an average height and will be taller than their past generations women.

Another anecdote ... my son has always been a big milk drinker and is taller than any relative in the last two generations (and well fed besides - he loves his broccoli!)

Re: 3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

#19

Post by emmelaich »

The girl pictured (blue eyed, fair hair) is especially suited to cow's milk - it's in her genes. That's how people were able to live north of certain latitudes; by cattle meat and milk.

Perplexing.

[edit: link to HN discussion on the lactose tolerant mutation] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4710596

Re: 3-year-olds consuming alternative milks were 1.5 cm shorter on average

#20

Post by lucidguppy »

https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/mar/dairy.htm

>IGF-1 promotes undesirable growth too—like cancer growth and accelerated aging. IGF-1 is one of the most powerful promoters of cancer growth ever discovered for cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, and colon.6 Overstimulation of growth by IGF-1 leads to premature aging too—and reducing IGF-1 levels is “anti-aging.”7

Post reply on HN