Richness of human milk

Subject :Science and technology

Section : Health

Context:

A new finding about the carefully tailored richness of human milk has shed light on the importance of myo-inositol, a cyclic sugar alcohol.

Details of the findings:

The levels of myo-inositol are high over the first two weeks of lactation and gradually taper off over a period of a few months.
In the early stages, the brain of the newborn is a site of rapid ‘wiring’, as synapses (or connections between nerve cells) are formed in profusion.
Proper synapse formation during early development lays the foundation for cognitive development; inadequate synapse formation leads to development difficulties in the brain.

Myo-inositol:

Myo-inositol is a cyclic sugar-alcohol, about half as sweet as sugar.
It is abundant in the brain, where it mediates the response to several hormones.
Our body needs inositol to form cell membranes. Our body makes myo-inositol from glucose, mostly in the kidneys.
Sources of Myo-inositol:
- Our body’s requirements go up along with the intake of coffee and sugar, and in conditions such as diabetes. The bran of grains and seeds contains a precursor of inositol, phytic acid. Almonds, peas and cantaloupes are also rich sources.
In animal models of diabetes, adding myo-inositol back to the diet of inositol-deprived mice helps prevent cataract formation and other complications associated with diabetes.

Other milk constituents:

Other constituents of human milk have unique nutritive values too.
An essential nutrient, an Omega-3 fatty acid and dicosahexaenoic acid (or DHA), varies depending on the food the pregnant mother has been eating.
The DHA levels vary in the lactating mother’s milk across nations — 2.8% in mainland China, 1% in Japan, around 0.4-0.2% in Europe and the U.S., and only 0.1% or so in several developing countries. DHA is important for the developing brain and retina.
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe gastrointestinal condition that impacts premature or extremely low birth weight infants.
Symptoms include inadequate feeding, abdominal bloating, multiorgan failure, and can be fatal.
Risk factors consist of bottle-feeding, prematurity, and low birth weight (1.5 kg or less).
The condition arises from a combination of compromised blood flow and intestinal infection. The NEC can be prevented by the utilisation of breast milk and probiotics.
Nearly 10% of premature babies develop NEC, with a quarter of affected infants succumbing to the disease. The intestines of premature babies do not produce enough IL-22, which is involved in protecting us from microbial infections.

Source :TH