MILK, an important part of a child’s diet, is considered a complete food in itself as it delivers essential nutrients. However, parents may switch to healthier options and advocate organic nutrition for their children’s growth and development.
The smart way to go organic in providing for the nutritional needs of a child calls for a full-circle organic milk, said Catrisse Delos Reyes, Wyeth Nutrition Philippines assistant nutritionist.
One such milk is Promil Organic, which uses 100 percent organic milk sourced from organic dairy farms where cows freely graze, consume organic feeds, and are also treated according to enhanced animal welfare conditions, Delos Reyes explained.
From farm to factory, she pointed out that annual checks are carried out to ensure the product meets the strict international organic requirements.
The organic milk, which is for pre-schoolers over three years old, contains important and essential nutrients: DHA, AA, iron, iodine and vitamin B12 to help with mental and visual development; vitamins A and C to boost immunity; calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K and zinc to promote proper growth; and oligofructose (dietary fiber) to improve digestive health.
At a virtual event, organic lifestyle advocate Dr. Celeste Gomez said food is a powerful influence on health and well-being, and shared the benefits of organic nutrition.
Diet is made up of macronutrients, micronutrients and phytonutrients, she noted.
“We need to have a balance between healthy and easily accessible foods despite our busy lifestyle,” Gomez said.
Organic vegetables and grains mean no genetically modified organism (GMO); no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, chemical additives or sewage sludge; and no GMO corn and soil.
Organic meat, dairy, poultry and fish, on the other hand, means no hormones, no antibiotics, fed with organic grains or vegetables, and no animal by products.
“The poultry must have access to outdoors, livestock must have access to pasture, and fish and seafood are wild caught and not farmed,” Gomez stressed.
Choosing organic, she said, also means lower in additional exogenous hormones that can disrupt the balance of the system; no antibiotics, thus preventing antibiotic resistance in humans; and decreases inflammation and is best for the immune system.
Gomez cited the US Department of Agriculture’s four distinct labeling categories for organic products: 100 percent organic (made up of 100 percent certified organic ingredients), organic (95 percent), made with organic ingredients (70 percent), and specific organic ingredients (less than 70 percent).