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Breastfeeding: Babies in industrialised nations have fewer gut bacteria that can efficiently digest the special sugars in breast milk
QUICK SUMMARY: A new study finds a type of beneficial bacteria that is really efficient at digesting the special sugars in breast milk are being lost as nations industrialise.
You might already know that beneficial microbes are transferred from mum to baby during vaginal birth. (Follow me on Medium to learn more on this!)
These beneficial bacteria are then fed by the special sugars in breast milk. These special sugars are called human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs).
Fed by the HMO sugars in breast milk, this helps ensure the infant gut microbiome is colonised by the right type of beneficial bacteria to optimally train the infant immune system. Scientists believe this process can help protect a baby’s long-term health.
Now new research led by researchers from Stanford University have found that babies from industrialised nations have fewer gut bacteria that are particularly efficient at digesting the special HMO sugars in breast milk.
The researchers suggest that as nations industrialise, the types of beneficial bacteria that are most adept at digesting the special sugars in breast milk are being lost.
