If you’re reading this, you want the best for your baby, so you’ll be interested to know that recent research from the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that drinking milk during pregnancy may protect against multiple sclerosis (MS) decades later in daughters.
MS is an autoimmune disease that attacks the nerves. MS causes fatigue, vision loss, tingling, and numbness, among other problems. Most victims of MS are adult women.
Researchers analyzed data from a 16-year period of the Nurses’ Mothers’ Study, which included nearly 36,000 nurse-mother pairs. They found that, overall, higher consumption of milk, which is particularly rich in vitamin D, during pregnancy was related to a lower risk of having a daughter who went on to develop MS.
The potential protective relationship between vitamin D intake and a lower risk of MS is not new, but this is the first time that the protective effects of vitamin D on developing babies has been demonstrated. While the news about milk’s potential protection against MS is positive, it’s inconclusive. The study showed an association between milk drinking and MS prevention, but it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there is a strong link between a baby’s blood levels of vitamin D and mom’s vitamin D intake. In the Harvard study, mothers with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood - supposedly because they drank the most milk - had a lower risk of having a daughter who developed MS.
Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of the bone-building mineral calcium, and for maintaining proper levels of calcium in the blood. Vitamin D is good for mom, too: it’s been linked to a lower risk for breast and ovarian cancer, and a stronger immune system.
Pregnant women need 200 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily, and possibly, much more: there’s a good chance that the suggested levels will increase when the Institute of Medicine releases revised guidelines for vitamin D later this year.
In the Harvard study, women who got the equivalent of at least 400 IU of vitamin D daily from milk had the lowest risk of having daughters with MS. Most prenatal vitamins and regular multivitamins contain 400 IU. Don’t worry about getting more than 200 IU a day, but do limit your intake of vitamin D to 2,000 IU from foods and supplements, combined.
With the exception of seafood and eggs, few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Three and a half ounces of cooked salmon offers 360 IU; three ounces of canned tuna, 200 IU; and a large, cooked egg, 20 IU. Fortified milk is perhaps the most commonly-consumed highly concentrated food source of vitamin D. Eight ounces of fortified milk supplies 100 IU of vitamin D. (Fortified orange juice has the same amount.)
If you’re not a fan of milk “straight up,” add milk to your diet with these tips:
• Prepare instant oatmeal and other cooked cereals in the microwave with milk instead of water. Do the same for condensed soups.
• Snack on cereal and low-fat milk.
• Make Creamy Sweet Potato Soup, found in Expect the Best, Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, & After Pregnancy.
• Whip up a delicious dessert by blending 1 medium banana, 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup, and one ice cube in a food processor or blender for 1 to 2 minutes or until frothy. Drink immediately.
Lactose intolerant? Try Lactaid milk; it’s 100% lactose-free.
Very interesting - another reason to drink milk! Do you think the same is true with soy milk, regarding prevention of MS? Did the authors mention that at all?
Comment by Alisa Winters — February 22, 2010 @ 5:10 pm
No, soy milk was not mentioned, but I get the impression that vitamin D is probably what’s exerting the positive effect, especially since many other population studies suggest that vitamin D from foods or supplements is protective against MS. If that is true, then milk itself may not be completely responsible for warding off MS. It’s reasonable to assume that vitamin D-fortified soy would also help to reduce MS risk. Milk is not a magic bullet, but it does offer a package of nutrients that may have played a protective role in this, and other, studies.
Comment by Elizabeth Ward — February 26, 2010 @ 1:10 pm
I agree, Liz. I don’t think the authors differentiated between milk per se and vitamin D intake. Since milk has traditionally been the most common delivery system of vitamin D, it makes sense that this relationship was observed. But as a dietitian I would make the recommendation to optimize D status, not necessarily drink milk, which for many is not an option.
Comment by Dina — March 1, 2010 @ 6:56 pm
Please be reminded that milk normally contains nearly no vitamin D!
The vitamin D is added later before it is packaged. It all happens in the factory.
If you are allergic to different proteins there is no reason to panic because you can not drink milk!
You can also drink fortified plant based(oat, rice,almond,soy) ‘milks’ or just get enough sunlight. There are also prenatal formulas you can take.
Also be reminded that you can fill up the storage during sunnier periods and still have enough vitamin d in your liver during winter.
You do not have to go out during the brightest times around noon..use the early morning hours or late afternoon.It is still enough light to fill your body with Vitamin Dand the risk of sunburn is lower.
Comment by cyrell — November 12, 2010 @ 4:35 am