Breast Milk Composition: What’s in your Breast Milk? Many health organizations in the world consider human breast milk to be a perfect nutrition source. When a baby is born, a diet exclusively of breast milk is suggested for at least the first six months. But have you ever wondered what makes breast milk high in nutrition?
Macronutrient Composition
Breast milk majorly consists of carbohydrates, water, proteins, and lips. Each nutrient plays a major role in contributing to the proper growth and development of an infant.
Carbohydrates: These are the energy source required for the brain. Milk sugar called lactose is the main carbohydrate in breast milk. In human milk, there’s more lactose compared to cow’s milk. Another carbohydrate in breast milk is oligosaccharides that encourage healthy bacteria in the infant’s intestine and help in combating infant diarrhoea. Water: Human breast milk consists of 90% water. All thanks to water, a proper hydration level is maintained in breast milk that further lubricates joints, regulates body temperature, and protects organs. Breast milk alone can provide an infant’s body with water needed for a young baby’s survival. Proteins: Proteins help in strengthening, repairing, and building the body’s tissue. They are also required to make enzymes, hormones and antibodies. With protein present in breast milk, babies can easily digest what they consume. Lipids (Fats): Lipids make around 4% of breast milk. But these provide half of the calories that babies need. Meanwhile, lipids are the main source of cholesterol, energy, and essential fatty acids like DHA. All these nutrients are essential for developing your baby’s vision, brain and nervous system. Vitamins: Vitamins are useful in supporting healthy eyes, bones, and skin in infants. These are essential to prevent diseases caused by malnutrition, such as rickets and scurvy. Breast milk contains all the necessary vitamins required for supporting the health of your baby.
Minerals: Just like vitamins, breast milk even includes various minerals that are needed by your baby's body to become strong and healthy. These minerals include zinc, iron, sodium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, and selenium.