In Spain, an 11-month-old baby was diagnosed with scurvy after receiving a diet of only almond milk. Idea: do not feed your baby only almond milk.
In the Pediatrics journal, according to the Washington Post, physicians at Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe de Valencia write that “plant-based beverages are not a complete food” and can make infants ill. Scurvy is caused by a deficiency in vitamin C, which almond milk loses during its preparation process. Vitamin C and ascorbic acid help manufacture collagen in the body and promote growth. Scurvy is rare in developed countries, but it’s around—and found more frequently in kids with restricted diets, like children with autism.
Almond milk will not immediately cause harm to infants, also—but almond milk must be consumed by a baby in addition to fruits, formula or breast milk. The authors of the study write, “When plant-based beverages are the exclusive diet in the first year of life and not consumed as a supplement to formula or breastfeeding, it can result in severe nutritional problems.”
Again: if you’re looking for alternatives to breast milk or formula, do not pick Only Almond Milk.
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