If it is often said that we are all what we eat, nursing babies will be even more so. After all, the only thing they take during the first months of their life is breast milk or formula. Therefore, there is a belief that the breastmilk of the vegan women may be worse for babies, since two of the most important nutrients it provides, vitamin B12 and carnitineare much more abundant in foods of animal origin.
Since both are essential nutrients for the babies development, it is not strange that, initially, it has come to think that the breast milk of vegan mothers could be worse. After all, lactating women are even often advised to eat more foods of animal origin to enrich their milk.
But the truth is that, beyond the importance of vitamin B12 and carnitine for babies, this is something that had not been investigated. That is, no studies had been carried out in which the levels of these two nutrients in the breast milk of vegan women were analyzed. For this reason, a team of scientists from the university of amsterdam decided to make the necessary analyzes and answer the question once and for all.
We are what we eat, especially babies
Just as we are what we eat, it is also often said that the body is wise. This applies to a myriad of issues, including the composition of breast milk. And it is that this is not the same during all the time that breastfeeding lasts. It has been observed that its composition varies as one or other nutrients become more necessary for the development of the baby. But also as the mother varies the diet.
In the case of vitamin B12 and carnitine, both are very important from the get-go. The first is necessary because it intervenes in many of the biological pathways of the first stages of development of babies. In fact, it has been seen that newborns with deficiencies in this vitamin end up having anemia and neurological problems.
As for carnitine, it has an essential role in energy metabolism, helps regulate the blood sugar levels and it is essential for proper functioning of the heart and brain. It is clear that it is necessary for breast milk to have a good contribution of both nutrients. However, vitamin B12 is abundant above all in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products and carnitine in practically the same foods, although also in whole grain breads.
The good news is that for both there are fortified foods and that vegan people are supplemented with vitamin B12, so it must be well covered. And, within what fits, carnitine can be obtained from other sources. So what about your breast milk?
Vegan breast milk is just as good.
The study analyzed the levels of carnitine and vitamin B12 in both the blood and breast milk of vegan and omnivorous women. The results were very interesting, since it was seen that, although the blood levels they were much lower in vegan women, there was hardly any difference in breast milk.
Therefore, there is no problem for vegan women to breastfeed their babies. They will be providing them with the necessary nutrients for their development, since the belief that they may be deficient in vitamin B12 and carnitine seems to be a myth. It is important to do your research before making claims. But seriously investigate, not in the conspiratorial sense of the word.