Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : Breast Feeding

Monday, 9 December 2013

Breast Feeding - Nutrients in the breast milk

Most babies were born with a sucking reflex to suck and swallow milk. Breast feeding is one of older form of feeding to the baby directed from the mother breast long before the invention of formula and cow milk. Many studies have proven that the mother milk is one of most nutrients and beneficial to the mother as well as the baby, such as protecting the baby from cold and infection and the mother from certain diseases and cancer, etc. according to The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Nutrients in the breast milk
Breast milk is one of the baby drinks in the world produced by a mother.
After birth, due to hormone change or the natural selection for the best to the survival of human being, the mother starts to produce plentiful amounts of milk as colostrum gradually changes into mature milk to feed the hungry babe. Breast milk contains fat, proteins, lactose, vitamins, minerals, water, etc.
1. Protein Protein is less in human milk if compared to other animal milk but exclusively for the feeding of human baby and necessary for the development of the brain to adapt to the complicating learning and social skills when he/she grows into adulthood. Researcher found that amino acid, taurine is abundant in the human milk than other mammals, that may be the the reason made us instinctively difference than other in the same spices.

2. Fat
Fat is important to provide a lot of energy for the rapid growth of the baby. It is necessary for the baby to gain a certain amount of weight for lessening the risk of diseases or provide the capacity for the near future learning. Unlike the fat in other mammals, fat in the mother milk is made to be absorbed easily, because of the immature of the digestive system, as the milk contains an enzyme, lipase, which is important to break down the fat to smaller globules.

3. Vitamin A
It is important for the eye, baby growth and body tissue repair, it is high in the high in colostrum and lessen in the milk.

4. Vitamin B complex
Vitamin B complex containing in the breast milk is important to help the baby in carbohydrate and protein metabolism, synthesis of DNA, nerve tissue metabolism, formation of antibodies, blood cell formation, etc.

5. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is vital to help the baby in wound healing, collagen maintenance and protection against infection and inflammation.

6. Vitamin D
In some studies, researcher found that mother's milk does not have enough vitamin D. But this seems not to be the fault of breast milk per se, but instead is caused by the mother not having sufficient levels of vitamin D. In other words, moms are deficient too, and that is why breast milk has low levels of vitamin D!. Make sure you either take sometime into the sun or take some vitamin D supplement, if you are vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is important to build healthy bones and teeth for your baby.

7. Vitamin K
Vitamin K is important for the baby to prevent hemmorhagic disease. Initially, the newborn has very little vitamin K in the body due to vitamin K can not cross over to the baby via placenta. In the first few weeks, the baby can not make vitamin K of it own because of not enough normal gut bacteria.

8. Iron
It is less in the breast milk, but the baby was born with 6 months of iron storing. Iron is vital for your bay to build red blood cells, which are important for the transporting of oxygen around the body and the development of nervous system.

9. Zinc
It is important to maintain the metabolism, cell growth and division, and proper immune response.

10. Selenium
It is one of the important of trace mineral in protecting the baby from damage of free radicals and information of the teeth.

11. Other minerals such as calcium, phosphorus although present with lesser amounts, but are easily absorbed by the baby digestive system.

12. Etc.