You have spent hours upon hours researching baby formulas trying to find one that will work great for your baby, as well as provide the healthiest ingredients. You find yourself falling down the rabbit hole of European baby formulas and now with so many options, you aren’t sure what to do.
In this article we discuss how to find a European baby formula that best fits your little one, as well as having the healthy ingredients that you are looking for.
What Makes a Truly Healthy Baby Formula?
When you are looking for a healthy baby formula that provides the best vitamins, minerals, and is similar to breastmilk, you want to look for a formula that doesn’t contain soy, heavy metals, melamine, gluten, mineral oil, preservatives and GMO’s, Corn syrup, added sugar, or synthetic ingredients.
What makes all of the ingredients mentioned above so awful for you little one?
Let’s Take a Look at Each Ingredient Individually
- Soy: Soy should only be used as a last resort when all other formulas have failed to work. Soy contains phytoestrogens, phytic acid, and genistein which can cause hormone issues for both boys and girl once they reach puberty.
- Heavy Metals: Heavy metal like arsenic, cadmium, and lead are found naturally in the soil. Without proper regulation, these metals can be missed in the filtering process and can have harmful effects on a baby’s developing brain, cardiovascular, and immune systems.
- Melamine: Melamine is a chemical used to increase milk production in dairy cows. Babies can overdose on this chemical when it is used in infant formulas. This was originally found in baby formulas made in China but was most recently found in US formulas as well.
- Gluten: Gluten is found in many different foods, for example, bread and pasta. Gluten is fine in older kids and adults, but for infants and babies it can cause digestive issue. In the first year of a baby’s life the digestive system is still developing and changing. The gluten protein is too much for a baby’s tummy to handle causing constipation and abdominal pain.
- Mineral Oil: Mineral oil can cause diarrhea, poor absorption of nutrients, and dehydration in babies.
- Preservatives and GMOs (Genetically Modified Ingredients): Preservatives and GMOs can be very harmful to babies. Preservatives can cause food allergies and GMOs have been known to contribute to cancer, organ failure, and birth defects.
- Corn Syrup, Added Sugar, or Synthetic Ingredients: Corn syrup and added sugar has been found to contribute to heart disease, obesity, and type II diabetes. Synthetic ingredients are neurotoxic and are processed with harmful chemicals called carcinogens. These ingredients can cause a number of future health issues.
So now that we know what we don’t want to have in our baby’s formula, what should we look for in our baby’s formula?
Only the Best Ingredients
- Organic Skimmed or Whole Milk: If you want formula that is very close to your own breast milk you want to look for formulas that have either organic skimmed or whole milk. Organic skimmed or whole milk is obtained from cows or goats that have not been treated with hormones or other unnecessary chemicals.
- Naturally Occurring Vitamins and Minerals: You want to find a formula that has naturally occurring vitamins and minerals that are also found in breast milk. Synthetic vitamins and minerals may or may not be harmful. The safest way to provide for your baby is with naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.
- Naturally Occurring DHA and ARA: DHA and ARA are both found naturally in breast milk. Both DHA and ARA can be synthetically made; this could potentially provide little to no help. The naturally occurring DHA and ARA are great for helping with baby’s brain development, so make sure the sources provided are natural indeed.
- Prebiotics and Probiotics: Prebiotics and probiotics help with the baby’s digestion process. They promote good gut health and regularity. This is especially important if your baby is having any gut issues, to include constipation, diarrhea, and gas.
The Take-Away
So now that we have discussed what to look for and what to avoid in your baby’s formula, you can make the decision as to which formula would be best for your little one’s particular needs.
There are a variety of different baby formulas out there and it seems overwhelming at first, but once you know what to look for it is much easier to determine which one will be best suited for your growing family.
