The benefits of breast milk are extraordinary, however, a new study found something else. Find out what it is about in our note.
Breast milk is the best food that a mother can give her child in the first months of life. This was praised by the experts during the celebration of the XXII Congress of the Spanish Society of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Pediatric Nutrition (SEGHNP) held in Murcia, where more than 400 experts have gathered. Another important finding in this study on the benefits of breast milk is the nutritional contribution of milk fat and the bioactive compounds present in its membrane. In other research in Sweden, milk fat was shown to have positive effects on cognitive development and immunizing effects for the child.
Milk fat, more than energy
Experts suggest that the importance of milk fat has historically been underestimated and relegated to the mere fact of its energy intake. It was not until the last decade that the ability of breast milk fat to influence the development of the nervous, visual, and immune systems was discovered.
More protected, smarter and better vision
For his part, Dr. José Manuel Moreno Villares, from the Clinical Nutrition Unit Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre in Madrid, spoke about the composition of breast milk, noting that it is not only a set of nutrients but also exerts a protective factor on the infant. The doctor highlighted the composition of fatty acids in breast milk has been related to both disease prevention and higher scores in intelligence tests and even in the assessment of visual acuity, during the first years of life.
Therefore, it is important to start breastfeeding from birth so that the baby gets all the benefits of breast milk. Remember that it is important to breastfeed your baby for at least the first six months of life and if circumstances allow, up to two years of age.