Who doubts that breastfeeding is the ideal choice for a baby? The following facts confirm that breast milk is “magical.”
We all know that there is no better option for feeding a baby than breastfeeding. However, scientific research continually reveals new, “magical” properties of breast milk that we may have never even imagined.
Breast milk changes depending on the baby’s gender. A study published in 2014 in the journal PLOS One showed that the milk produced to feed a baby girl is typically lower in fat and protein compared to that intended for baby boys.
Its composition changes as the baby grows. As observed in a study published in the journal Pediatrics, the milk of mothers who continue to breastfeed a toddler has significantly higher amounts of fat and calories compared to milk produced for a few-week-old infant.
When the baby gets sick, breast milk is enriched with more antibodies. Specifically, the levels of white blood cells increase, according to studies. But how does breast milk “know” that the baby, for example, has a cold? A possible explanation is that the saliva from the baby’s mouth, which passes to the mother through the nipple, carries warning signals indicating the need for more antibodies.
It kills cancer cells. Studies have shown that babies who are breastfed grow up with lower rates of asthma and allergies, possibly because breast milk helps build the beneficial gut flora, which is linked to a stronger immune system. The most impressive fact, however, is that breast milk kills cancer cells. Swedish researcher Catharina Svanborg discovered this as far back as the 1990s, and she is now trying to harness this to develop an anti-cancer therapy.
Nighttime breast milk is “hypnotic” for the baby. It contains more nucleotides, which help the infant fall asleep, than the milk produced during the day.
