Soya milk Soya good for babies (Dairy Intolerance)

Member Name: jeanjeannie

Product:	Dairy Intolerance
Date:	21/07/01 (4281 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: reduces congestion, Reduces tummy ache, Promotes happier healthy babies.

Disadvantages: Can't think of any except it is not available everywhere like cows milk.

My eldest grandson, now aged 5 was very poorly from the age of six months until he was 2. He was diagnosed with Asthma but, having watched my daughter grow up with this illness, I was not convinced. He had several 'attacks' – he did not wheeze but his breathing was very laboured and his little tummy was going nineteen to the dozen. It was obvious there was something wrong with his lungs and he usually ended up in hospital on a drip and being given antibiotics and steroids.

I was horrified that such a young child should be given steroids knowing the effect they had on my daughter when she had a bad Asthma attack but what was the alternative?

Well, I’ve always been very interested in complimentary therapies and heard of a Chinese acupuncturist in Plymouth who had successfully treated a local child with severe eczema. We took James to see him and the first thing he asked was what formula was he drinking. Normal SMA my daughter replied wondering why he had asked. In China, he said, no child is given cows milk; their digestive systems are not designed to cope with such a complex food and, if breast milk was not available then Soya milk was substituted.

James was given acupuncture treatment for many weeks and amazingly he tolerated the needles without flinching (it should not be too painful anyway if done properly) and he was also given Soya milk formula which he drank quite readily. Incidently, you can get this on prescription which, of course, is free to children.

I suppose it took about 6 months before we noticed any great difference but there was a steady improvement not only in his breathing but also in his sleeping and general demeanour – he obviously felt better so was a much happier baby.
He stayed on Soya formula for quite some time – sorry I can’t be more precise, but eventually cows’ milk products were introduced into his diet and he learnt to tolerate them. He is now eating as normally
as most 5 year olds – fish fingers, chips and chicken nuggets to name but a few of his favourites and he likes nothing better than a glass of (cows) milk!

Then along came Joseph – brother to James born by caesarean section in March 2000. He appeared fine at first but as he got older he always seemed to have the proverbial runny nose and, despite a good appetite, he failed to thrive and fell off his line several time causing us all some concern. We blamed his constant colds and foul nappies on the fact that he was always teething and by 12 months had something like 12 or 13 little white pearly teeth but his GP was obviously getting concerned and wanted various tests done.
Nothing was found and then, as if I had had a brainstorm, I said to my daughter – perhaps it’s the cows milk again. He drinks gallons of it and really likes it which is often the way if you have an allergy or intolerance to a food source.

Yes, you’ve guessed it – he has been on Soya milk now for about 3 months and is actually beginning to grow and catch up with his peers. He sleeps well and is a very, very happy child. He is not on formula – he prefers So Good ( usually 99p a litre)
which is obtainable from most supermarkets but I keep a stock of Safeway’s long life Soya milk in the cupboard as it keeps longer – it is 75p a litre.
Why I didn’t think of it before I just don’t know – probably something to do with my illness but hey, it’s working now and, as they say, better late than never.

UPDATE - 31/8/01
Oh dear, had I spoken too soon? Just after I wrote this Joseph was stricken with really bad diarrhoea which would not clear up so he was taken to our GP; as Mummy & Daddy were at work it fell to me to take him and our doctor – who has become a friend of the whole family, asked why I had suggested Soya milk. I told him adding that a Chinese acupuncturist had told us that n
o Chinese children are fed on cow’s milk & he said
“I’ve just read an article on that; our stomachs are not designed to deal with such rich food as cows milk”.

That made me feel SO GOOD! I actually knew something before my doctor – perhaps I should buy myself a stethoscope. Perhaps not!!

He suggested that Joseph had caught a tummy bug – he’d been to a BBQ a few weeks before, and this had caused infantile diarrhoea, which could go on for months. The bug can irritate the lining of the intestine and make it even more lactose intolerant. He suggested that Joseph be kept on a dairy free diet and to transfer him to Soya formula milk as this contained extra nutrients which would aid his recovery. It did and roughly 2 weeks later he is (fingers crossed) fine.

There is an added bonus too – the Soya formula milk is on prescription and therefore is free. A great help to every young families budget.


Here are a few more facts on Soya milk from the British Nutrition Foundation that you may be interested in, it looks as if it can be beneficial for many ailments.
Possible health effects of Soya
1. In October 1999 the Food and Drink Administration in the USA approved a health claim about the role of soy protein in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. This claim states that when soy protein is included in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, it may reduce CHD risk by lowering cholesterol levels.
2. Soya is also a rich source of isoflavones which belong to a group of compounds called phyto-oestrogens. Phyto-oestrogens are found in plant foods and are structurally similar to the mammalian oestrodiol.
3. The isoflavones in soya include diadzein and genistein, which have been shown to have both oestrogenic and anti-oestrogenic effects. They compete with oestradiol to bind with the oestrogen receptor-complex. However, on binding they fail to stimulate a full oes
trogenic response. Evidence is building that they may offer some protection against a wide range of hormone-related conditions including breast, bowel, prostate and other cancers and menopausal symptoms.1
4. Evidence from animal studies and also epidemiological studies together indicate that soyabean products may reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. In studies on rats, isoflavones have been shown to reduce tumour growth through their anti-oestrogenic properties and also their antioxidant properties. People living in China and Japan have higher intakes of isoflavones, as the traditional diet is higher in soyabeans, than people following a Western diet. There is a low incidence of these cancers in the Chinese and Japanese population that may or may not be linked to dietary factors.
5. It has been suggested that a high consumption of isoflavones from soya may reduce symptoms of the menopause and incidence of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.2 However sufficient clinical data to support these claims remains to be established.
6. Isoflavones also have strong antioxidant properties. It has been proposed that foods rich in antioxidants (e.g. fruit and vegetables) may help to reduce risk from coronary heart disease. Soya is also a source of soluble fibre which can lower cholesterol levels.
7. There are question marks over the long-term effects of phyto-oestrogens given to infants and young children. Currently, breast milk or cow’s milk formula are recommended for infant feeding, unless there is a clear indication that soya milk formula is required on medical grounds. It should be noted that infants allergic to cow’s milk may also become sensitive to soy protein, particularly if the cow’s milk intolerance included gastrointestinal symptoms. However, soya infant formulae are suitable for bottle fed infants who are lactose intolerant and brands containing no ingredients of animal origin are acceptable in vegan diets.


8. Recent media coverage has raised a number of concerns about possible effects of soya products on health including thyroid abnormalities, mineral deficiencies, Alzheimer’s disease and effects in women consuming soy products during pregnancy on the unborn child3. In reality, for most of these there have been few published studies and much of the work cited to support many of these claims has been conducted in experimental animals, rather than humans. So, at the present time, these concerns remain speculative and unproven.
9. Because of the potential benefits, particularly in relation to cholesterol lowering (as supported by the FDA), on the one hand, vis à vis the suggestions from some studies of adverse effects of consumption of soya products in relation to other aspects of metabolism, earlier this year COT (Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment) convened a Working Group on Phytoestrogens. Its remit is to review published scientific research on the beneficial and adverse health effects of dietary phytoestrogens. Its report is due to be published in Spring 2001.
10. There are a number of different soya products available including textured vegetable protein, tofu, tempeh and soya milks, all of which can make a useful contribution to nutrient intake. If soya products are used to replace animal sources of protein, such as meat or milk, it is important to ensure that adequate amounts of the nutrients that these animal-derived foods contain (particularly iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12) are provided by other foods and drinks. It is the balance of the diet that is important to achieve optimum health.

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