Science and Mainstream nutritional education sometimes have gaps big enough to drive a Mac Truck through them. Take the case regarding the breast feeding debate. The fact that there is even a debate reveals this gap. If you could ask a baby, there would not be any debate. So, the debate is more about the Mother and Society than about the baby. Baby Formula companies say their products are scientifically formulated for healthy infants although the latest research favors breast feeding. Below is one aspect that may have far reaching deductions, even for Adults.
Looking at cholesterol levels between breast feed infants versus formula fed infants reveals shocking differences. Cholesterol levels are higher in breast fed infants. ref Human milk is naturally high in cholesterol while formulas largely leave it out. Add in another fact, that the AHA says higher cholesterol during childhood leads to adult heart disease. ref Thus, putting these two facts together would lead to breast feed infants having greater heart and artery disease as adults. But, this expected result is just the opposite of the real situation. Formula fed infants who have much lower cholesterol levels starting out have greater Cardiovascular Disease as adults. One theory is that the body early on has to develop a pathway to generate greater amounts of cholesterol to compensate for the lower dietary amounts in formulas. ref
Low cholesterol is not healthy for the infant. ref A reading of about 200 for cholesterol is the best level to develop a sound immune system. Does this amount also carry over for adults as well. (Why, YES it does!)
Studies have demonstrated a number of important health benefits to breastfeeding. Among them:
Could some of these advantages be linked to the higher level of Cholesterol in breast fed infants?
Human milk has significantly more cholesterol than cow's milk. For the first 6 months, breastfed babies have higher Total Cholesterol and LDL's than formula or mixed fed babies. ref Then a change happens that is beneficial. The HDL to LDL ratio goes up in breastfed babies. This probably represents a better development of liver enzymes handling of cholesterol pathways over what occurs in formula fed infants. This effect is not just from the natural cholesterol, but from the natural fatty acid profile from breast milk that many formulas do not match. Why do formula companies refuse to add cholesterol to bottle formulas? ref ref
As children grow older, cholesterol levels gain more association with beginning artery plaque growth indicating artery damage. Nutritionists just assume, wrongly, that infant cholesterol levels contribute to this process as well. Science needs to catch up. But then they would have to admit that cholesterol palys a positive role in preventing disease such as infections. This would bring into question the wisdom of why it should be drastically lowered? Benefits and risks! When one looks at the mortality facts concerning cholesterol levels, the overall healthiest level is just over 200. article Interestingly, this is just about the level that breast fed babies naturally develop.
NATURE, INFANTS, AND MOTHERS MILK
If you were amazed about the cholesterol findings above, this next topic blows the lid off any debate issues about the merits of breast-feeding versus bottle formula feeding. This can be summed up in one word: Oligosaccharides. Click on the term for easy reading about the critical value of infants getting these unique oligosaccharides only produced in human breast milk and their value to the health of the growing infant.
Human Milk Enigma
Scientists analyzing human breast milk were dumbfounded to find this class of simple carbohydrates that the immature infant digestive tract was incapable of digesting. Why would Nature put oligosaccharides in breast milk if the infant could not digest them?
After years of research, Scientists finally made a significant discover. The oligosaccharides were not essentially for the infant at first, they were there to feed and help bacteria grow in the infant's developing intestinal tract. After lactobacillus in the small intestines and bifidobacteria in the colon used the oligsaccharides to grow more numerous, the bacteria could breakdown these carbohydrates into forms that the infant body could absorb and utilize as simple sugars. While many different bifidobacteria were able to digest a few oligosaccharides, there was only one strain of this bacteria that was capable of 100% digestion of human milk oligosaccharides and that bacteria strain is Bifidobacterium Longum subsp. Infantis.
Heading for Extinction in Breast Milk
In the past, B. Infantis was dominate in the intestinal tract of every human infant born. In the U.S. today, it is found in only about 1 in 10 infants. Plus, it is also absent in most Mothers. This reduction was a gradual process over many generations. The causes for this decline are numerous; use of antibiotics, C-section births, low fiber diets, processed foods, bottle formula feeding, sterilization and sanitation procedures, etc.
Scientists are now conducting research to find out if any of the numerous complaints growing in numbers for infants might be related to the dissapearance of this vital bacteria to infant health.