From the moment they become mothers, many women start to pay close attention to their diet. After all, we have many postpartum customs and dietary cultures. What can be eaten and what cannot be eaten is also one of the most important ways for family members to express their care for the parturient.
And breast milk is the most standard source of nutrition for babies. How to improve the mother’s health through “dietary supplementation” and thereby enhance the nutrition of breast milk naturally becomes the focus of everyone’s concern.
From a macro perspective: Breast milk is like a large chain supermarket
What is a large chain supermarket like? First, they all contain some fixed standard sections, such as fresh food, snacks, and daily necessities. Second, the products inside do not come from the same channel.
Breast milk is also the same –
1. The three major macronutrients in breast milk are highly stable
More than 96% of human breast milk, apart from water, is protein, fat, and carbohydrates. These three major macronutrients, like the three most basic sections, remain highly stable in the breast milk produced by different individuals. The average content of protein is 0.9-1.2 grams, fat is 3.2-3.6 grams, and carbohydrates are 6.7-7.8 grams per 100 milliliters of mature milk (about one week after childbirth).
Among them, the concentration of lactose in breast milk is the least variable among macronutrients. There are also studies showing that even when the mother’s protein intake is low, the protein content in breast milk can remain stable.
In other words, no matter where the mother comes from, what race she is, whether she eats more meat or vegetables, the content of these three major nutrients in their milk is generally similar. Once a woman becomes a mother, her body adjusts to “mother mode” and automatically produces breast milk that meets certain “standards” for her child.
In addition to protein, fat, and carbohydrates, some minerals and vitamins in breast milk, such as copper, iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamins E and K, are also hardly affected by the mother’s diet. This means that even if these nutrients are not high in the mother’s diet, breast milk can still maintain a relatively stable level to meet the baby’s needs.
No wonder James Grant, the former executive director of UNICEF, once said:
“Unless the mother is extremely malnourished, the mother living in an African village has as good milk as the mother living in a Manhattan apartment.”
This is the first implication of comparing breast milk to a large chain supermarket – relatively stable major sections.
2. Nutrients in breast milk come from different channels
Just like the products in a supermarket, nutrients in breast milk also come from different channels.
Specifically, they come from three main sources: first, synthesized and secreted by mammary epithelial cells, especially macronutrients such as fat, protein, and lactose; second, the mother’s previous nutritional reserves; third, diet.
It can be seen that the nutrients mothers provide to breast milk through diet only account for a part of it. This makes the impact of diet on breast milk not so significant.
The reason why the nutrient sources in breast milk have so many different compositions may be a protective mechanism retained in human evolution – when mothers temporarily have difficulty obtaining sufficient food sources, breast milk can still ensure the nutrition of infants from other sources, thus allowing the continuation of racial reproduction.
You may have seen this news:
In 2005, during the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in the United States, a mother named Jennifer Noll was trapped. In a few days, she relied solely on breastfeeding to provide nutrition for her six-month-old daughter, Aisling. Even though she was short of food, breast milk remained stable and ensured the health of her daughter.
Setting aside the news, according to existing scientific research, we find that even vegan mothers secrete breast milk with high nutritional value (vegan mothers may need to supplement vitamin B12). Even mothers on a diet can ensure the quality of breast milk in the short term (although in the long run, it may cause health problems for the mother and a decrease in milk volume).
This at least suggests to us: the nutrition of breast milk is more stable than many people imagine, and there is not a simple cause-and-effect relationship between diet and breast milk.
From a microscopic perspective, these details of breast milk are affected by diet
If the macronutrients in breast milk are like the fixed standards of a large chain supermarket, then the components of breast milk are like specific products, and each store may have slight differences – the same is true for soda, where Beijing’s shelves may have Beigingyang, and Yunnan’s shelves may have imported Thai cola.
These differences are also reflected in breast milk.
Diet is one of the reasons for these differences. In particular, fatty acids, some vitamins, and trace elements are greatly affected by diet.
1. In terms of fat
Fat is the hottest component in the field of research on how diet affects breast milk.
Although the total amount of fat in breast milk is relatively stable, due to different dietary habits and dietary structures in different countries and regions, the fat components in breast milk can vary greatly. The impact of diet on breast milk lipids can currently be viewed from two perspectives:
Total fat
Many studies have shown that if mothers consume a high-fat diet for a long period, it will increase the lipid concentration in breast milk within a certain range.
If it is a high-sugar diet, it may increase the cholesterol content in breast milk. However, this increase usually does not exceed the average range of breast milk lipids, but it will make the lipid content closer to the upper limit.
This is why it is not recommended for mothers to “over-supplement” – there is a ceiling for lipids in breast milk, and it is likely that they will no longer increase after reaching a certain level. The excess fat in the diet will eventually grow on the mother.
Fatty acids
Fatty acids are an important part of the composition of breast milk lipids. It is known that there are more than 200 types of fatty acids in breast milk, which are greatly affected by diet. The most studied are DHA and EPA.
Most studies currently believe that if mothers consume more DHA and fish, the DHA in breast milk will also increase. This is why we recommend that breastfeeding mothers can eat fish rich in DHA 2-3 times a week to increase the content of DHA in breast milk.
Regarding other fatty acids, current research has not reached a consistent conclusion.
2. In terms of vitamins
A long time ago, scientists found that the content of vitamin C in breast milk is greatly related to the mother’s diet.
This is another reason why we suggest that breastfeeding mothers should have a balanced diet: a reasonable diet for nursing mothers should be rich in fresh fruits and vegetables to provide enough vitamin C for mothers. This is not only beneficial to the mother’s health but also helps to increase the level of vitamin C in breast milk.
However, our traditional postpartum diet is prone to insufficient intake of vitamin C. Some regions still retain the custom of boiling fruits before eating during the postpartum period, and vitamin C is easily destroyed by heating.
In addition to vitamin C, many studies have also observed that if the intake of vitamin A, retinol, niacin, and riboflavin in the mother’s diet increases, the levels in breast milk will also correspondingly increase. This more intuitively suggests to us that the diet of breastfeeding mothers should be quite rich, or more precisely – they should consume a balanced diet.
3. In terms of trace elements
Breast milk contains many trace elements, such as iodine, fluoride, zinc, magnesium, and selenium. These elements may be related to the mother’s diet to some extent.
In addition to ensuring a variety of foods, breastfeeding mothers should also use iodized salt for cooking and consume appropriate amounts of seaweed and other seafood to ensure the supply of iodine in milk.
Traditional postpartum diet: like a supplier with a single variety
Now we know that breast milk is like a large chain supermarket, with the general types being relatively fixed, but the details are affected by the “suppliers”. The richer the suppliers and the more scientific the combination, the better the nutrition of breast milk can be reflected in the details.
Overall, a reasonable diet for nursing mothers should be nutritionally balanced – it does not require an excessive intake of meat and eggs to ensure sufficient protein, fat, and carbohydrates; at the same time, there should be enough fresh fruits and vegetables to ensure the intake of vitamins and other nutrients.
Citing the original text from the “Chinese Residents’ Dietary Guidelines” (2022): The food during the puerperal period should be diverse but not excessive, and a balanced diet should be maintained throughout the lactation period.
Looking back at our traditional postpartum diet, there is often an excessive intake of meat and eggs during the postpartum period, leading to an excess of energy and fat intake. Some customs still retain various postpartum taboos, such as not eating vegetables, fruits, or boiling fruits before eating, which can easily lead to insufficient intake of vitamins and trace nutrients. There are also many families that believe that drinking more soup during the lactation period is necessary. Although soup can to some extent replenish water and some water-soluble vitamins, most soups have very single nutrition. Greasy soups such as meat and bone broth contain high levels of fat and cholesterol, and the nutritional value is not high. Long-term and large intake is harmful to health. Lactating mothers need to consume a variety of foods to ensure a comprehensive range of nutrients. Relying solely on soup to meet nutritional needs is unrealistic and unbalanced. Traditional postpartum diet is like a supplier with a single variety – it can provide enough calories, fat, and protein, but the richness is far from enough, and it does not provide good support for the quality of breast milk in detail. Please let nursing mothers eat better – this does not only mean providing enough animal products and soup, but also means that nursing mothers’ diet should be enriched. We should recognize that the diet of nursing mothers does not need to pursue “major supplements” or “special” excessively, but should return to normal life and enjoy the fun brought by a variety of foods. Just like a large chain supermarket needs a rich variety of products to meet customer needs, nursing mothers also need to ensure that the nutrients in breast milk are comprehensive and sufficient through a balanced diet. Therefore, let us abandon those cumbersome postpartum taboos and unnecessary dietary restrictions, and let nursing mothers enjoy normal life while also providing the best breast milk for their babies. Remember, nursing mothers have the right to eat normal food and live a normal life. Breastfeeding is only a part of life, and a healthy and diverse diet is the best gift nursing mothers can give to their babies.
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