Rocket fuel in water, milk and in breast milk
Yes, rocket fuel is in water, milk in breast milk.
Before 2004, findings indicated the proposed standard of rocket fuel in milk in some states were too weak for healthy consumption of children and infants. The Environmental Working Group found high perchlorate levels (rocket fuel) in California supermarket milk in almost every sample tested — 31 out of 32 samples. Among the observations were that milk from some California cows may expose infants and children to higher levels of perchlorate than what the U.S. EPA deems safe.
At that time the danger seemed to reside in cow’s milk.
Fast forward to 2007, and the issue of perchlorate is still high on the health agenda, found in drinking water and also in breast milk.
EWG is now calling on EPA to set standards for Perchlorate across the nation. EWG’s data from scientists at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Boston University (BU) shows that infants are being exposed to dangerous levels of the rocket fuel component perchlorate.
The March 2007 report of the CDC/BU study, which examined breast milk from 49 Boston area women, found that the average infant in this study is being exposed to more than double the dose of perchlorate that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers safe; highly exposed babies are ingesting up to 10 times this amount. Read More Here
What’s a consumer to do?
Comparing formulas – breast milk, cow’s milk, soy milk
Nutritionally speaking, soy and cow’s milk formulas are similar. Both include vitamins A, D, E, and K. The main difference is in their protein and sugar make-up.
Cow’s milk is processed into formula by heating and other methods that make the animal proteins in the milk more digestible. Supplemental milk sugar (lactose) is added to mimic the higher sugar content of breast milk. Finally, the fat (butterfat) is removed and replaced with vegetable oils or animal fats, which are also easier to digest.
Soy formulas, which contain plant proteins and glucose or sucrose (rather than lactose), have changed greatly since they were first introduced. In the past, they included soy flour, which led to diarrhea, excess gas, and fussiness. Today, the formulas contain a soy protein isolate, which reduces the frequency of gastrointestinal problems.
The quality of protein in cow’s milk formulas is a bit better than that in soy, but neither type is as good as that in breast milk, says the AAP. And lactose-free cow’s milk formulations are now available for infants that are lactose intolerant.