Nut milk blogs for child diets presented by people with no medical know-how, study flags

24 Oct 2023 --- Researchers who analyzed 145 of the most popular milk alternative blogs for parents of children under five found that most bloggers had no medical or dietary expertise. The research was presented at the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition, Washington DC, US.

Many parents in the US consult online sources on alternatives for milk, while 47% of the “most popular” bloggers have no medical training. Of the remaining bloggers, 32% were nutritionists or dieticians, 12% physicians or nurses, 5% holistic providers and 4% PhDs and scientists.

“The large number of online blogs discussing dairy milk alternatives for toddlers suggests that this is an issue of great interest to caregivers, who may turn to blogs that provide unsupported information and nutritional recommendations about milk substitutes,” says Kara Sangiuolo, lead author of the research and medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

Milking the topic
The study found that bloggers were most likely to recommend soy milk (37%) and pea milk (17%) as the best alternatives. The most common options referenced were soy milk (84%), almond milk (79%) and rice milk (65%). 

“I think that there is a major opportunity for pediatricians and pediatric nutritionists to enter the online space and provide more accurate, consistent information to support caregivers looking to transition their toddlers away from dairy milk,” notes Sangiuolo.A recent study found that non-medical practitioners made most milk alternative blogs referring to children’s nutrition.

“Several blogs included unsupported recommendations such as making unfortified homemade milks for growing toddlers. The lack of consistent information across blogs was concerning, and only half of all blogs discussed the nutrient compositions of dairy milk alternatives.” 

Fourteen blogs recommended making homemade milks for toddlers; two claimed homemade dairy as the best alternative.

“This reveals the need for greater dissemination of accurate nutritional recommendations regarding dairy milk alternatives from pediatricians and nutritionists. This information can be delivered online to reach caregivers and better promote the healthy development and nutrition of toddlers in early childhood,” says Sangiuolo.

Nut milk debate
The research was supported by Cohen Children’s Medical Center in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

In other industry news, the European Parliament voted against including plant-based milk, such as almond milk, in the bloc’s Farm to School Scheme — part of the EU Green Deal — causing outcry among health and environmental campaigners, who accuse dairy industry stakeholders of “causing a significant blow” to European diets. 

As more people consume plant-based dairy alternatives for health and nutrition reasons, Safefood says these products often contain less protein and, in some cases, less calcium than their dairy-based counterparts. A further survey of Irish consumers revealed that these findings conflict with their perception of the nutritional value of plant-based products.  

By Inga de Jong

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