Does drinking a lot of milk cause early puberty?

Signs of early puberty

Precocious puberty is the onset of signs of puberty before the age of 8 in girls and before the age of 9 in boys.

• Signs of puberty in girls: big breasts (with fillings), rapid increase in height (may be taller than peers in a short time), hair growth,...

• Signs of puberty in boys: rapid increase in the size of genital organs, hair growth, children breaking their voices, growing height, etc.

Puberty too early can negatively affect the psyche and rob a child of the opportunity to develop optimal height.

Why do people think drinking a lot of milk causes early puberty?

People think that milk can cause early puberty because cow's milk contains growth hormone - which is responsible for helping the body develop. However, this doesn't seem right because:

1. Growth hormone in cows cannot affect humans and, when passed through the human stomach, has been digested like other foods

2. Early puberty is caused by the increased concentration of sex hormones, which causes the bones to close earlier than usual, making the bones not grow longer, leading to limited height growth in children. Meanwhile, the role of growth hormone is to help increase height in children.

Several studies have shown that the leading risk factor for precocious puberty in girls is being overweight. Obese children often do not have a balanced diet, and most of them use a lot of foods derived from animals, such as meat, eggs, and milk. That's why cow's milk has been 'suspected' as the cause of early puberty.

In short, the concept that "drinking cow's milk causes children to have early puberty" is entirely FALSE. Meanwhile, milk is an essential source of calcium to help children develop optimal height. Milk is necessary for children aged 4-8 years old, range 500ml/day, children from 9-18 years old, range 700ml/day (including yogurt and cheese).

However, parents should be careful not to give their children too much milk because it reduces the use of other essential food sources such as vegetables, fruits, etc., and at the same time should choose whole milk without sugar. Avoid adding flavoring to reduce energy.

Tips to limit the risk of early puberty for children:

• Give children a balanced diet, using just enough animal protein

• Drink enough cow's milk, do not abuse this product to replace other nutritional sources

• Encourage children to exercise to avoid overweight and obesity

• Build a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruits to supplement micronutrients and should reduce fast food and processed foods

• Prefer to use organic products

• Avoid using items that contain Phthalates and BPA… for example, recycled plastic

• When a child shows signs of early puberty, parents should take the child to the doctor immediately for treatment and monitoring to avoid adverse effects on the child