Cow's milk consumption in childhood and adolescence: a Q&A expert review of current evidence.

Cow's milk and its derivatives are a food group of recognized nutritional value during childhood and adolescence, and their consumption is endorsed by the main pediatric societies from 1 year of age. However, studies indicate that a significant portion of Brazilian children and adolescents do not meet the consumption recommendations, compromising the intake of essential nutrients. This expert review critically evaluated the scientific evidence on cow's milk consumption in this age group, in a question-and-answer format, based on a search in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and ResearchGate databases, with a final sample of 70 publications. The results indicate that regular consumption of cow's milk is safe and beneficial for healthy children and adolescents, contributing to physical growth, bone health, favorable body composition, and potential improvement in cognitive performance. Contraindications are restricted to specific conditions, such as cow's milk protein allergy and lactose intolerance. However, some findings-particularly those related to cognitive performance-remain heterogeneous, highlighting the need for further well-designed studies. It is concluded that, in the absence of these conditions, there is no scientific basis for the exclusion of cow's milk from the diet of this population group, and its consumption should be and its consumption should be encouraged within the context of a balanced and individualized diet.

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