It’s no secret that the best food for a newborn baby is breast milk. Unfortunately, not every woman has the physical or emotional ability to provide for her child. This may be due to certain diseases, medications taken, and a number of other important factors. In this case, you can rely on baby formula from The Milky Box.
No matter where you live, in Europe, the US, or any other country, you’ll find that the baby food industry is one of the most strictly regulated. It’s not hard to understand why. You have to be sure that even when your child can’t get mother’s milk, they can still get the next best thing. This is the reason why the strict requirements for food products like hipp formula intended for newborns exist.
Standard baby formula ingredients
1. Whey protein or casein. Most powdered foods on the market contain about 1.4 grams of protein per 100 grams of the product. For comparison, breast milk normally has 0.8 to 1.2 grams of casein.
2. Taurine. This is an essential amino acid found in all foods. It’s necessary for the normal development of the vision and nervous system. It’s also responsible for the absorption of fats.
3. Fatty acids. These help build cells of your baby’s body, including brain cells and those of the eyeball retina.
4. Lactose. This natural milk sugar helps digest food and improves bowel movement. It stimulates the development of lacto- and bifidobacteria in the intestines and promotes the absorption of micronutrients. However, if your child is intolerant to this component, a pediatrician will recommend a lactose-free option.
5. Vegetable oils. While there is some controversy regarding the use of certain vegetable oils in organic baby formula (such as palm oil or rapeseed oil), it’s still an essential component of any infant food. It must contain a sufficient amount of fats to help your baby grow and develop and cow’s milk fats are unsuitable for newborns. Other vegetable oils often used in baby products are sunflower, canola, coconut.
6. Pre- and probiotics. These components help develop and support the healthy intestine microflora to prevent any digestive issues and strengthen the young body’s defense against all kinds of diseases.
7. Minerals and vitamins. These are essential for the proper development of your child’s body. The amount of these micronutrients in formula is higher than in human milk because it’s more difficult for your baby’s body to break them down and absorb them when they don’t come from their moms.
8. Nucleotides. These are involved in metabolism and the formation of the body’s defenses.
9. Choline is extremely useful for the nervous system.
Additional components
Standard infant formula also includes taurine, choline, and L-carnitine. Taurine supports brain development, the nervous system, and muscle function. L-carnitine is responsible for the transport of fatty acids and some vitamins. Choline has a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Other ingredients you can find listed on a label are:
- Soy lecithin – an emulsifier and additional source of choline.
- Folic acid – a chemical form of vitamin B9.
- Copper sulfate is a source of copper and an activator of many enzymes.
- D-biotin (vitamin B7).
- Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12).
- Thiamine hydrochloride (vitamin B1).
- Cholecalciferol (vitamin D).
- Pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6)
- Potassium iodide – the source of iodine for the synthesis of thyroid hormones.
- Sodium selenite – the source of selenium
- Phytomenadione (vitamin K).
- Riboflavin (B2).
- L-ascorbic acid, sodium L-ascorbate (vitamin C).
- Magnesium chloride, the source of magnesium necessary for the proper functioning of many metabolic processes.
- Calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate – the mineral source of calcium.
Ingredients that might cause concern
If you find the following components in the list of infant formula components, it would be a good idea to refrain from buying this food or consult a baby doctor before purchasing it and giving it to your child.
1. Gluten. Doctors believe that this substance is difficult to digest and can provoke gluten intolerance also known as celiac disease. More often than not, however, this disease is hereditary. In addition, gluten interferes with the absorption of many nutrients. This is why it would be a good idea to make sure it’s not in your child’s food, especially if he/she is under 12 months old.
2. Gliadin. A substance that can be found in cereal shells. Gliadin can provoke the necrosis of the intestinal villi that assist in the absorption of nutrients.
3. Phytin. This substance interferes with calcium, vitamin D, and iron absorption. As a result of a lack of vitamins and minerals, a baby can develop serious health problems.
4. Sugar. Added sugars might cause B vitamin deficiency, increase calcium levels, and reduce the amount of phosphorus in the blood of the newborn.
5. Soy. In this case, it’s important to note that what you should watch out for is genetically modified soy. Natural soy, however, is a therapeutic product and should only be prescribed as a dietary food by a pediatrician. The exception is for children with an intolerance to cow’s milk proteins. If you are looking for soy-free products, you might want to try the Lebenswert formula.
6. Palm and rapeseed oil. Manufacturers claim that even breast milk contains palmitic acid, so they use palm oil in their products. Pediatricians believe that these types of oils can have negative effects on a baby’s digestive system.
Baby food is produced based on cow’s or goat’s milk but its composition is modified by modern technological processes. One of the most notable things about infant formula is the high whey protein content. It’s easily digestible and contains the amino acids necessary for the proper development of babies.
During the production process, some animal fat is removed and replaced with vegetable fat. Similarly to breast milk, the formula contains essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals but its composition can’t precisely replicate the real thing and the multitude of its healthy components. For example, baby foods don’t contain hormones, natural antibodies, and certain enzymes that help comfortable digestion. Technologists are still working on the development of an ideal product that would be similar to breast milk.