Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is visiting with the Executive Director of Nutrition Research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Dr. Shalene McNeill, about the value of beef in an infant’s diet.
The NCBA Research Team has been looking closely at each of the developing life stages as children grow and their nutritional needs change, to see how beef can benefit them throughout their childhood and teenage years.
“Infants start incorporating real foods at about six months of age,” Dr. McNeill said. “So, their nutrition needs start right then for that iron, zinc, and other nutrients that beef can complement. Those are critical nutrients for growth and development, and as they continue to grow, some of their needs change, but a lot of those nutrients they need at each of those life stages, is supplied by beef.
“Babies have tiny tummies, so each little bite that they take has to be packed with the most nutrition to give their bodies what they need. Beef is one of the most nutrient-dense foods,” she said. “You can get protein, iron, and other nutrients from other foods, but there is no other food that has all of the nutrients that beef does in one package. No other food really competes for those ten essential nutrients that beef provides and the quality of its protein.”
She emphasized that obesity is an ongoing problem, but people must understand that they can be overfed and undernourished. Dr. McNeill cautioned. “Nutrient density is really important because it isn’t just about eating too many calories that makes us overweight, we’ve got to get enough nutrition. While we don’t need to overeat foods, we need to choose foods that can give us the most nutritional bang for our buck. That’s where beef comes in.”
She explained that, especially people in active periods of growth such as children, adolescents, and pregnant women, need the most nutrient-dense foods to get the most nutrition within the required calorie limits.
An upcoming study is how the transfer of nutrients through breastmilk to the baby affect the growth, health, and development of the infant. “We want to understand how beef-eating incorporated into breastfeeding gets transferred to the baby and what the benefits are. We want to compare that to other choices that mothers might make, such as a plant-protein based diet.”
She explained that earlier research has shown that beef nutrients are absorbed better than plant-based proteins, so this study will compare the health outcomes of the two.
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