Why Breastmilk Is Tummy Friendly For Your Baby

There is no better nourishment for your child in their first few months of birth than breastmilk. Doctors recommend it, studies have proven it and moms know it too! But do you know why breastmilk is beneficial for baby? Breastmilk has tummy friendly and growth nutrients. For eg. the right quality and quantity of proteins, vitamins and minerals. 

Composition of Breastmilk

Breastmilk is just right for babies. It has the goodness of antibodies, enzymes, and anti-inflammatory factors along with fatty acids which are extremely important for your baby's growth. Breastmilk is a unique composition of proteins, fats, lactose, and water. Breastmilk, or colostrum, that baby is fed soon after birth is essential in coating baby's digestive system with protective antibodies.

Colostrum will only have a hint of the eventual breastmilk composition that comes in but is essential for the baby to feed on it soon after birth. The colostrum that the baby takes in offers vital early protection by coating your baby’s digestive system. Colostrum will give way in a few days to transitional milk and eventually to mature milk. .  

Breastmilk is designed to be just right for babies, but how is the baby’s tummy able to digest and break down the high protein content? And if baby can break down proteins in breastmilk then why not in cow’s milk? It is important to understand that the composition of milk is tailor-made to suit that particular species. Cow’s milk is designed to meet the nutritional requirements of calves to grow quickly. Babies, on the other hand, grow less quickly and develop brain, nerves and spinal cord in the early phase.

Proteins Present In Breastmilk

Breastmilk has two main forms of protein – whey and casein. The composition of breast milk is said to be 60% whey and 40% casein. With a higher ratio of whey to casein, breastmilk is easily digested by a baby's sensitive tummy. 

Whey protein: A thin liquid form of protein that is very easily and readily digested by baby's tummy. Also, whey protein helps in easy digestion. 

Casein: On the other hand, casein though essential, is harder and more difficult to break down by your baby. It has more complex protein molecules and hence increases in composition only when mature milk comes in, or when the baby is older. 

Breastmilk also contains amino acids which are actually the building blocks of protein. Did you know that there are 20 different kinds of amino acids found in breastmilk? Taurine is one of the amino acids in breast milk and its responsible for combining with bile acids and plays an important role in brain and eye development. So it is extremely important for the baby. This amino acid is not available in cow's milk which is why doctors advocate breastmilk for the first 6 months of a baby's life.

Mostly, all the protein in breastmilk is digested and absorbed into your baby's system. But cow’s milk has high concentration of proteins and minerals that is not customized for baby’s tummy hence making it difficult for baby to digest.

Fat 

Besides that, the fat content of breastmilk which is the primary source of calories for your baby and your baby needs this fat content to stay healthy.  The fats in your breast milk may also play a role in controlling your baby's appetite due to the lipids and the essential fatty acids in breastmilk. Fats in breast milk are practically self-digesting since breast milk also contains the enzyme lipase, which breaks down the fat. Fat is the main source of calories for babies – and babies need a lot of calories for healthy growth! 

Vitamins & Minerals

What you consume is directly linked to what you baby digests and eats if you are breastfeeding him/her. So basically if you eat well and take care of your nutrition and include fat-soluble vitamins in your diet, your baby will also have an easier time digesting the milk and drawing the essential nutrients from the food directly. 

Carbohydrates

The carbohydrates found in human milk is lactose. Lactose helps improves the absorption of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium and promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the stomach. Which is just what your little one's sensitive and developing stomach needs

Breastmilk vs Cow’s milk

• Whey to casein: Breastmilk has a ratio of 60:40, making it easier for babies to digest. Cow’s milk has a ratio of 20:80 making it harder for babies to break down the high proportion of casein.
• Fats: Cow’s milk has a higher concentration of saturated fats making it difficult for baby to digest. ((http://www.edurete.org/pd/sele_art.asp?ida=3512))
• Iron: Breastmilk has a lot more iron than cow’s milk does. Breastmilk changes as baby grows and iron reduces making baby ready to drink cow’s milk, which contains very little iron.
• Vitamins: Breastmilk has appropriate quantity of vitamins and minerals as compared to cow’s milk.

Baby’s tummies are small and sensitive, so breast milk is ideal since it ensures that the digestive system is not being stressed and the baby is absorbing all the goodness from his/her mom's milk. But for mothers who can’t breastfeed, make sure to look for a suitable alternative that has a similar composition to breastmilk, i.e. has tummy friendly and growth nutrients. Make sure to always consult your paediatrician before making a choice.

This post is written in association with Nestle Start Healthy Stay Healthy.

Image source: time.com