There is a lot of information on this topic in the series.
We continue with the components of breast milk
Cholesterol: good or bad for the baby? Cholesterol is another important component of the fat family. Is this vital fat really the nutritional gremlin it is portrayed to be? Not in babies. Cholesterol supports brain growth and provides essential components of hormones, vitamin D and intestinal bile like other fats. Cholesterol is high in human milk, low in cow's milk and almost non-existent in nutrition. Studies have shown that exclusively breastfed babies during the first year have higher blood cholesterol levels than formula-fed babies. What a clever idea -- higher blood cholesterol during the phase of fastest brain growth. Nutritionists are unsure of the possible short-term effects of low-cholesterol milk on an infant's brain versus the long-term effects on the heart. So go with the oldest successful nutritional design – human milk for human babies.
Powerful Protein - If the fat data isn't hard enough to convince you that your milk is special, listen to the protein story. As a baby grows faster than at any other time during the first year, quality protein is very important during this period. Human milk contains proteins specifically designed for infant growth. These powerful growth promoters cannot be manufactured or bought. Each of these special factors does good things for your baby. Human milk contain two main proteins: whey and casein. Whey is a soft protein, easily digestible, and very gentle on the human intestines. Casein, the curd protein of milk, is lumpy and harder to digest in the human intestines. Human milk contains mostly whey. Cow's milk and some formulas contain mostly casein. Children's intestines recognize the proteins of mother's milk as the correct substance. Nutrients are easily digested, quickly absorbed and are not rejected as foreign food. Because the intestine has to work harder to digest lumpy curds, foreign proteins in formula or cow's milk are not enthusiastically welcomed. As the guardian of the body's nutrition, the intestines let the right proteins into the blood and prevent blood proteins that can harm the body - called allergenic proteins or allergens. A baby's intestines are more porous in the first months, and the "gate" in the intestinal lining is open, allowing foreign proteins to penetrate. Around six months, the intestines mature and the "gate" begins to close, some proteins are selected and others rejected - this is an interesting process called closure. Giving your baby only your milk until their intestines are mature is the safest way to keep potentially allergenic proteins out of your baby's blood.
In addition to whey, human milk contains other selected proteins that do not naturally occur in milk produced by cows or companies. This elite group consists of: Ta urine, a brain protein believed to support brain and nervous system development. Another protein unique to human milk is lactoferrin, which acts as a ferry to transport valuable iron from milk into the baby's blood. This special protein also protects the right kind of bacteria that reside in the baby's intestines. Both good and bad bacteria reside in a child's lower intestines. Beneficial bacteria do good things for the baby, like vitamins. If left unchecked, harmful bacteria can overwhelm the intestines and cause diarrheal diseases. In addition to suppressing harmful bacteria in the child's intestines, lactoferrin keeps candida (a yeast organism that produces toxins) under control.
Another type of useful protein in breast milk is nucleotides. These proteins help tissues grow stronger. Nucleotides help the baby's gut lining to develop better by encouraging the growth of intestinal villi - tiny finger-like projections that process and absorb food. These substances in breast milk also help support bacteria that belong in the baby's gut and eliminate those that don't - a process called maintaining normal gut ecology.
How Sweet It Is - If you want to find out if what they say about the taste of breast milk tastes better, then you need to try the taste test. Try a few formulas and breast milk, you will immediately know why babies prefer the real thing. Breast milk tastes fresh. While the formula has a canned taste. Human milk contains more lactose (sugar) than the milk of any other mammal—20 to 30 percent more than cow's milk. Formulas add corn syrup or lactose to make up the difference. The question is; why should your child have this better sugar? Answer: A child's brain needs it! Nutritionists believe that one of the products of lactose, galactose, is a vital nutrient for the development of brain tissue. Researchers have shown that in all mammals, the higher the lactose content of the milk, the larger the brain of that species; which supports that lactose is important for central nervous system development. Lactose also increases the absorption of calcium, which is vital for bone development. Not only does lactose help brain and bone growth, your baby's gut also needs this natural sweetness. Lactose promotes the growth of the beneficial intestinal bacteria Lactobacillus BIF i DUS.
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