Brilliant Nature

[dalthauser]

Whilst mowing the backyard (electric mower) & listening to the NPR Food Podcast I learned a cool thing that adds to my belief there is natural order in the universe........

Mother's milk contains sugars called oligosaccharides.
Baby cannot digest this sugar according to the panelists on the show.
Why then after thousands of years of evolution - does the milk still contain these sugars?
The sugars go into the baby and create a breeding ground for good bacteria to fight any bad bacteria that might attack baby.

Now that is way cool.

Comments

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

I'm sure breast milk is just right for baby - for what ever reason. Mine thrived on it!

And I got very hungry making it!

I guess you breast fed, too?

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

I did for as long as I could - about 2 months. I didn't have a lot of moral support, and I lost my confidence.

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

I only breast fed for four months with my first one. Unbeknownst to me, she was a reflux baby. I wish I knew then what I know now. My second one I only fed for nine months, because I comp fed her, and in the end she preferred the bottle. My third and fourth I only managed 6 mths. My 5th until 2 years (I hoped to stop at about 18mths, but I had too much milk and got mastitis, then we both stopped naturally when he was two). My last until 6! I just couldn't get that last one off until he went to school! I do not recommend that, and he did not feed all the time, of course. Maybe just at night or morning in bed. I have a condition where I produce milk even after the baby stops, so I had milk long after that. But it had dried up by the time my first granddaughter was born. What a pity. It could have come in handy then. Apparently some grandmothers do produce milk for their grandchildren. And some mothers and even some fathers! Bizarre!