Copenhagen - Children who drink a lot of milk grow taller than others, indicating a future means of helping children with growth problems, the Jyllands Posten newspaper has reported.
Researchers at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University have established that cow milk has special qualities that make children grow more than they would have without drinking milk.
"The new studies are interesting since a high intake of milk apparently also helps growth in well-nourished Danish children who do not lack anything," researcher Camilla Hoppe at the Department of Human Nutrition said.
Milk affects a growth factor known as IGF-I, and also has other qualities compared to other protein-rich foods like meat.
"That indicates that it is not the protein but something else in the milk that stimulates the growth factor. Cow milk is for little calves who have to grow very fast, so it appears to contain something that stimulates growth," Hoppe said.
"When we know what factors in milk increase children's growth then we have a possibility of discovering how we can aid children who grow slowly," she said. - Sapa-dpa