Breastfeeding acts as a protective shield against diseases in the newborn. Among its many benefits, unlike artificial milk, reduces the risk of intestinal infections because breast milk promotes the proliferation of good bacteria in the baby's intestine.
When examining breast milk, scientists are finding more and more beneficial compounds, considered as natural medicines. A team from the University of California emphasizes that among its components is a diverse set of sugar molecules called oligosaccharides that play the role of "microbe managers."
This means that oligosaccharides act as if they were porters, preventing harmful microbes from entering the intestinal flora and promoting, in turn, the proliferation of beneficial bacteria.
In Babies and more A study reveals that the feeding of babies influences the metabolism of their intestinal bacteria "If we look at the natural compounds in human milk, we will be surprised by what we find."
Studies have shown that full-term babies who have received breast milk have a bacterial flora dominated by bifidobacteria They have beneficial properties They help in digestion, and are associated with a lower epidemiological incidence of allergies1 and also prevent some forms of tumor growth.
However, premature babies harbor less bifidobacteria, being more susceptible to infection by bacteria such as Escherichia coli, which causes diarrhea and potentially death. Hence the importance of breast milk banks so that babies born before term can receive it in the event that their mothers cannot give it to them.
Finally, I leave you an appointment of the nutritional scientist in charge of the study:
We go to the bottom of the ocean to find new compounds and test them against diseases. But if we look at the natural compounds in human milk, we will be surprised by what we find.
In Babies and more, new immune cells are found in breast milk capable of fighting invaders, such as bacteria
