by April McCarthy

March 05, 2019
from PreventDisease Website

 

 

 

 

 



Bacteria aren't the only microorganisms passed from mothers to babies in breast milk - fungi are transferred too.

 

This may play an important role in kick-starting the colony of microorganisms inside an infant's gut, which form part of a healthy digestive system.

The excitement around the impact of breast milk on microorganisms in the gut, called the microbiota, has largely focused on bacteria, with little known about fungi.

 

But fungi could be important to the development of allergies or disease later in life.
 

The study (Microbiome profiles in Breast Milk from Healthy Women depend on Mode of Delivery, Geographic Location and Interaction with Bacteria) was published in the Journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Breast milk is always better than formula because it provides critical nutrients and a diverse array of antioxidant protection as well.

Earlier studies have shown that breast milk lowers the incidence of,

  • diarrhea

  • influenza

  • respiratory infections,

...during infancy, while protecting against the later development of,

  • allergies

  • type 1 diabetes

  • multiple sclerosis,

...and other illnesses.

Some studies have even suggest that children up to the age of one that are fed beverages other than breast milk are at risk of becoming malnourished.

Babies fed a dairy-based formula grow up to have higher blood pressure than babies who are breast-fed.

Bacteria aren't the only microorganisms passed from mothers to babies in breast milk - fungi are transferred too. This may play an important role in kick-starting the colony of microorganisms inside an infant's gut, which form part of a healthy digestive system.

The excitement around the impact of breast milk on microorganisms in the gut, called the microbiota, has largely focused on bacteria, with little known about fungi.

 

But fungi could be important to the development of allergies or disease later in life.

Maria Carmen Collado at the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology in Spain and her colleagues had already found fungi in the breast milk of women in Spain.

 

So they widened the net to include women living in South Africa, China and Finland as well.

They found fungi in the breast milk of all 80 women included in the study.

 

The most prevalent was,

  • Malassezia, a genus of fungi found in oil-producing glands on skin and hair

     

  • Davidiella, a genus of fungi also found in the vagina

Regional differences suggest environmental factors such as diet or geography play a part in the fungal composition of breast milk, says Collado.

This is important, because mothers transfer a unique mix of bacteria and fungi to their newborns, she says.

Saccharomyces boulardii is a fungus currently given to infants to reduce the severity of diarrhea. Collado hopes her team's findings could open the door to other fungi that could be used to improve infant gut health...