Finding a dose-dependent association between higher non-cow milk consumption and lower height (P<0.0001), the study went on to report that for each daily cup of non-cow milk consumed, children were 0.4cm (95% Confidence Interval[CI]:0.2, 0.8cm) shorter.

“The primary exposure was the volume of non-cow milk consumption (number of 250mL cups per day). The primary outcome was height, which was measured as height-for-age z score and a multivariable linear regression was used to determine the association between non-cow milk consumption and height. A mediation analysis was conducted to explore whether cow milk consumption mediated the association between non-cow milk consumption and height,” the authors explained.

“In the mediation analysis, lower cow milk consumption only partially mediated the association between non-cow milk consumption and lower height. The height difference for a child aged three years consuming three cups non-cow milk per day relative to three cups cows milk per day was 1.5 cm (95% CI: 0.8, 2.0 cm).”

“Many parents are replacing cow milk with non-cow milk beverages such as soy, rice, or almond milk, possibly because of perceived health benefits. However, non-cow milk contains different proteins than cow milk and lacks IGF-1, suggesting that it may not have the same effect on height as cow milk,” the authors reported.

The authors further explained that, unlike cow milk, there are no legislative requirements for standardising the nutritional content of non-cow milk under the FDA or the Food and Drug Regulations of Canada and that the protein and fat content of non-cow milk beverages is highly variable

“Children who consume non-cow milk may receive less dietary protein and fat than children who consume cow milk.  Understanding the relationship between non-cow milk consumption and height in childhood may help inform parents, clinicians, and policymakers when choosing the optimal type of milk for children.

“Future research is needed to understand which non-cow milk beverages are most responsible for this association as well as understanding the causal relations between non-cow milk consumption and childhood height,” the researchers concluded.

Source:
Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jun 7. pii: ajcn156877. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.117.156877. [Epub ahead of print]
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