Palm oil - The culprit in formulas causing constipation

Constipation is a very common condition in young children. There are many causes of infant constipation, but the hidden "culprit" is palmitic acid, an ingredient in palm oil - the oil that is often present in the formula that babies drink. day.

Have you ever wondered why you took care of your baby so carefully that your baby often suffers from constipation, even persistent constipation, making his child's bowel movements an obsession for the whole family? ? If you have checked all the factors and still cannot find the cause, chances are the "culprit" is in the formula that you give your baby to drink every day.

Currently, there are many types of formula on the market, but not all are suitable for your baby. Among them are quite a lot of formulas using fat from palm oil - a culprit causing constipation that few mothers expect. Let aFamilyToday Health watch the following sharing to better understand palm oil and why children who drink oil palm oil formulas often suffer from constipation.

Most formula milk contains palm oil 

Palm oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the fruit of the oil palm tree. With low price and easy storage, it is widely used, present in about 50% of products sold in supermarkets, from food to chemical cosmetic products such as toothpaste, shampoo. , lipstick and also in infant formula ingredients . Many studies show that if consumed in excess, this vegetable oil can have negative health effects such as atherosclerosis and cancer.

Particularly for babies , according to research from the Italian Society of Paediatrics (Italian Society of Paediatrics) in 2013, out of 52 milk products for babies, up to 86% of products contain ingredients of palm oil. It is with these potential risks that, in 2014, formula products were required to clearly state the exact names of the oil ingredients contained in the milk.

Palm oil - "The culprit" causes constipation that parents need to be careful of

Many carefree parents let their young children use formula without knowing that the milk contains palm oil - the culprit contributes to constipation for children. The reason is that this oil contains a lot of palmitic acid, while the baby's digestive system is still very immature and completely unable to break the bonds of this molecule.

Consequently, after the children consumed, the amount of palmitic acid will combine with calcium - common ingredients other in the formula - forming a compound containing calcium is insoluble makes the texture of hard stool to make young be constipated . Not only that, it also reduces the ability to absorb fat, energy and negatively affects the intestinal microflora of the child.

The Journal of Pediatrics (Pediatrics) also published a study by Professor Winston Koo at Wayne State University (USA) comparing babies fed two types of formula, one with 45% fat being palm oil, the other, contains a mixture of safflower oil, coconut oil, and soybean oil. The results showed that milk-fed children containing oil from oil palm had significantly lower total bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) compared to the other group of children.

Although causing many negative effects on the health of children, due to its low cost and easy storage, palm oil is an ingredient added by many manufacturers to infant formula products. Therefore, if you are not careful in the selection of milk for your baby, it will be very easy for children to drink palm oil containing milk, so they have a high risk of facing persistent and serious constipation.

Give your baby formula milk: How to choose and prepare to avoid constipation?

Breast milk is the best food for babies and babies. However, if you do not have enough milk or for some force majeure reason cannot breastfeed your baby, it is extremely important to choose a formula that is safe to "be friends" with. aFamilyToday Health tells you a few tips to choose formula that is good for your baby, to help reduce the risk of constipation:

Choosing milk from reputable brands is the top priority. In addition, when choosing to buy milk, mothers also need to pay attention to issues such as: milk must be distributed genuine, on the milk cans must have labels of both the manufacturer and the distributor, the packaging is intact, no. be distorted, the expiry date must be clearly printed, sharp ...

Read the information on the packaging carefully before making a decision, especially the vegetable oil item. Generally, if this section is only general vegetable oil, it is more likely to contain palm oil, which is not good for children, but if the details are detailed and without palm oil, these are milk products. quality, good for the digestive system.

Prebiotic fibers FOS, Nucleotide and HMO (nutrients found in breast milk have been incorporated into formula) are also recommended ingredients in breastmilk choose to help stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria. in the child's intestinal tract, help soften stools and increase the frequency of bowel movements, reduce constipation, better digestion.

In addition to the palm oil item, you also need to pay attention to choosing milk containing advanced nutrients to help your baby develop brain such as DHA, natural vitamin E, lutein ... because the first 1,000 days of life is the golden stage. for children to develop optimal brain. It should be noted that DHA is susceptible to oxidation when standing alone, so a formula with natural lutein and vitamin E helps preserve DHA from oxidation and support better brain development.

After choosing the right milk, mothers need to read carefully, follow the steps to prepare and preserve milk for the baby. In particular, mothers must strictly follow the preparation instructions from the manufacturer on the package because mixing the milk is too concentrated (sometimes by accidentally compressing the spoon when measuring or measuring a little more milk because you want your baby to accept. get more nutrients during a feeding) or too dilute can also affect a baby's digestion and absorption.

Through the above sharing, hopefully you have a better understanding of palm oil as well as why you need to consider carefully when choosing milk to avoid giving your child milk containing this oil. Just a little careful, a little wisdom and remember a few tips above, surely your baby will grow up healthy and less likely to be bothered by constipation.

Most people who first become parents look at their child's poop are surprised. The reason is because it has so many nuances and is inconsistent, even experienced people don't understand what's going on. To know how good a newborn stool is, please refer to the article: How is a  newborn stool?