Children who drink non-cows milk such as rice, almond, soy or goats milk, have lower levels of vitamin D in their blood than those who drink cows milk, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Non-cows milk is becoming increasingly popular because of perceived health benefits, milk allergies1 or lactose intolerance.Children drinking only non-cows milk were more than twice as likely to be vitamin D deficient2 as children drinking only cows milk, said Dr. Jonathon Maguire, a pediatrician and researcher with St. Michaels Hospital. Among children who drank non-cows milk, every additional cup of non-cows milk was associated with a five per cent drop in vitamin D levels per month.Vitamin D is an essential nutrient3 produced through sun exposure or found in fortified4 cows milk, fish and other foods. It plays an important role in the development and strengthening of bones. In children, low levels of vitamin D can cause bone weakness and, in severe cases, rickets5 -- a condition causing the bones to become soft and weak and potentially leading to bone deformities.In North America, every 100 millilitres of cows milk is required to be fortified with 40 units of vitamin D. Adding vitamin D to non-cows milk, however, is voluntary.It is difficult for consumers to tell how much vitamin D is in non-cows milk, said Dr. Maguire. Caregivers need to be aware of the amount of vitamin D, calcium6 and other nutrients7 in alternative milk beverages8 so they can make informed choices for their children.The study involved 3,821 healthy children ages one to six. Researchers looked at differences in blood levels of vitamin D associated with drinking cows milk and non-cows milk. The children were recruited from seven Toronto pediatric or family medicine practices that are part of a research network called TARGet Kids!.Our findings may also be helpful to health care providers working with children who regularly consume non-cows milk due to cows milk allergy9, lactose intolerance or dietary preference, said Dr. Maguire.Eighty-seven per cent of children involved in the study drank predominantly cows milk and 13 per cent drank non-cows milk.
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1 allergies n.[医]过敏症；[口]厌恶，反感；（对食物、花粉、虫咬等的）过敏症；变态反应，变应性 参考例句： Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发不少不一样的症状。 来自辞典例句 Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 目前让大家来看看最容易见到的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句
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