Scientists unraveling the composition of human breast milk say it may lead to new ways to prevent and treat stomach illnesses and other diseases in babies and adults.
In feeding babies the mantra has been for decades that "breast is best" and there is indeed a growing body of research producing solid evidence that breast feeding is better for baby and for mother.
Scientific studies have found that a diet of breast milk for babies is correlated with benefits including less diarrhea as well as lower incidence of diabetes or asthma when compared to formula-fed babies.
But precisely how or why this happens remains a mystery and while scientists know the basic ingredients of breast milk, it is not fully understood how exactly they work to provide the best nutrition for infants and protect them against disease.
Science tells us that human breast milk is a complex fluid composed of several key components, including lactose, a sugar that provides energy for the infant, and lipids, which are thought to provide healthy fats to infants.
But scientists are only just beginning to understand the composition and function of many of the components of human breast milk - certain sugars in breast milk could be developed into treatments that help fight necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a potentially deadly disease that affects about 10 percent of premature infants. Some types of sugars in breast milk appear to prevent bacterial infections, including those that cause severe diarrhea.