fbpx

Fed is Best… Until it Isn’t: An In-Depth Comparison of Breast Milk vs. Infant Formula and Important Considerations for Early Development

written by

Alexandra Scott

Introduction

I was recently browsing Instagram when I came across a Food Scientist who takes Tiktoks and other videos of health practitioners and health-conscious individuals and “debunks” their claims that many of the foods and beverages on the shelves today are toxic and the root cause of a great deal of the disease we see in the population today. The video in particular that I saw was a video of a gentleman highlighting the components of infant formula.

In his original post, he drew attention to Corn Syrup Solids, Skim Milk Powder, and a few other things.

In her rebuttal, she explained how Corn Syrup Solids differ from High Fructose Corn Syrup and that they are not the same as the sugar that we are used to finding in candy and other confectionery treats. She explained that Corn Syrup Solids are simply glucose. A carbohydrate. Similar in composition to Lactose (found in breast milk) but actually easier to digest, as glucose is a monosaccharide (a single carbohydrate), whereas Lactose is a disaccharide (two carbohydrates combined that must be broken down into glucose and galactose prior to digestion).


While I do not disagree that Corn Syrup Solids are, in fact, glucose, an easily digestible carbohydrate and source of energy for an infant, my goal today is to help raise awareness about the fact that the simple science of things does not always tell the whole story.

It overlooks a very important issue plaguing the world today, and while I am not against formula, I think it is extremely important to have this difficult conversation in an effort to raise awareness about the components of infant formula (and a myriad of other foods that we feed our children without hesitation) and the potentially negative impact they can have on a person’s overall health and cognitive development.

While I respect the scientific explanations, I want to shed some light on the fact that SCIENCE doesn’t always equal HEALTH.

I think it is safe to assume that every parent just wants what’s best for their child, and as I was reviewing the comments from the post, I saw something else that I think needs to be addressed.

The outcry from thousands of vulnerable mothers who were so relieved that someone was telling them there was nothing wrong with them for choosing to formula feed their baby as a result of [Insert Reason Here: lack of milk supply, career obligations, mental health issues, etc].

These Mothers were so divided and felt so threatened by society about their choices that they were riddled with anger and resentment towards anyone who said “Breast is best”; and while that is also not always the case (this study explains how fructose passes through human milk and is directly correlated with an increase in infant weight at 6 months of age), I want to invite you to shift your perspective for a moment from which method of feeding your children is best, to why.


Let’s really think about this for a moment…


If you were unable to urinate, what would you do?

I imagine the majority of us would immediately make an appointment with our doctor and demand a number of tests until we got to the bottom of why we were unable to adequately carry out a bodily function, especially as it pertains to our overall health and well-being.

So why is it then, that Insufficient milk supply is one of the most commonly cited reasons for early cessation or decreased exclusivity in women who have initiated breastfeeding? Why are we being told that we cannot carry out this basic bodily function and simply accepting this information?

Why are we not taking a closer look at things to see what is disrupting this biological process? Instead, we believe that it is natural to be unable to breastfeed.

With that in mind, I invite you to consider the following:

What’s Happening to Our Milk Supply?

  • Issues with lactation and latching.
  • Concerns about infant nutrition and weight.
  • Mother’s concern about taking medications while breastfeeding.
  • Unsupportive work policies and lack of parental leave.
  • Cultural norms and lack of family support.
  • Unsupportive hospital practices and policies.

Should we not be looking then, less at which mode of infant feeding is best, but rather the ever-growing crisis that is  Maternal and Infant Health and Well-Being both prenatally and throughout the post-partum journey?

Why are tongue-ties so prevalent now? Affecting 10% of the population? Dr. Steven Lin, a world renowned Functional Dentist sheds some light on the nutritional deficiencies associated with the increasing prevalence of tongue-ties.

If we apply that same level of discernment to many of the other issues negatively impacting rates of breastfeeding in North America it leads us to ask the questions:

Why are more and more mothers on medications?

A woman in her child-bearing years should be at her healthiest. Why then, are 66% of women, age 18-34 using prescription drugs?

Why does PCOS (which has been linked to many of the other health factors that impact breastfeeding listed like Diabetes, Heart Disease, Depression and Anxiety, etc) affect between 6% and 12% of women in America, according to the CDC?

It is extremely important that we consider the why behind the prevalence of these conditions and lifestyle factors that are negatively affecting womens’ ability to carry out an innate, bodily function that they were biologically designed to do, because this inability to breastfeed is indicative of a much larger issue. A sort of “canary in the coal mine” situation if you will.

Unfortunately, at this point, the focus has shifted to Mom-shaming, as opposed to the real issue at hand, and that is Maternal and Infant Pre and Postnatal Well-Being.

 

The Impact of Synthetic Ingredients on Human Health and Infant Development

In the post I mentioned above, the main area of focus was Corn Syrup Solids and Skim Milk Powder, but these are just two of the many ingredients found in formula and other dietary staples in many children’s lives.

While scientifically, these ingredients are molecularly and chemically similar to their organic counterparts, it’s important to consider how they impact our health with the presence of the chemicals required to produce them in large quantities, like pesticides and herbicides, and also the impact they have on our physiological processes.

Commercial Formula vs. Human Breast Milk Within the Body

Human milk contains various macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins) as well as numerous bioactive compounds and interactive elements (growth factors, hormones, cytokines, chemokines, and antimicrobial compounds. necessary for the growth and development of the infant.

“Historically one approach to match human-milk composition is to add new ingredients (see Appendix B for the composition of formulas and human milk). This turns out to be a quixotic quest since human milk is a complex body fluid that is variable not only among individuals, but within an individual over time. In addition, it contains components, such as live cells and bioactive compounds, that either cannot be added to formulas or cannot survive a shelf life. Finally, not all human-milk constituents are essential; some, like LC-PUFAs, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (ARA), can be synthesized by term and preterm infants born at 33 weeks gestation (Uauy et al., 2000).” (Click here for complete study)

That means that human milk is a bodily fluid that is in a constant state of change and adaptation to the needs of the Mother and infant, depending on a number of different factors including maternal hormonal shifts, nutrient intake, maternal-infant immunological feedback (ie. If baby is unwell, the milk will adapt to the infant’s needs and create the antibodies necessary to counteract the illness) and simply put, this is something that cannot be achieved with formula, and while people may experience some friction around this point,  it is important to consider these things since we now know that an estimated 1 in 13 children develop allergies, a statistic that has reached epidemic levels.

Innate Immunity

Our innate immune system is our first line of defense and our first stages of immune function. While we are born with a small amount of innate immunity, there is extensive new research to show how Human Milk is responsible for the creation and maintenance of a great deal of our innate immune system (the one that protects us from birth until our system is developed enough to begin to protect itself with our acquired immunity between 9 months and 2 years of age). Human Milk has been proven to contain the antibodies, probiotics and oligosaccharides (prebiotic “food” for the probiotics) that come together to create the perfect symbiotic relationship within the infant, offering optimal protection to their vulnerable immune systems.

While there has been a great deal of progress made with formula with the addition of probiotics and oligosaccharides, formula manufacturers are limited in their ability to truly recreate the IgA antibodies specific to the mother and her own internal mucosa as is secreted by the mammary glands which help the infant to bolster their own innate immunity to their specific environment.

That being said, it is important to also consider the myriad of compounds that pass through human milk, both good and bad. For instance, fructose and many other immune-modulating components pass through human milk and can also have a negative effect on infant innate immunity, as can a maternal diet deficient in healthy fats, and other vital nutrients. The main takeaway here is to start the conversation about immunity, inflammatory triggers and best practices when navigating an infant feeding relationship so as to encourage awareness and an understanding of potential immunological outcomes and how to best manage them. If a Mother is in a position where she is unable to bolster her own system in such a way to provide optimal breastmilk to her child, then it only makes sense to supplement in order to provide the infant with the best means of immune system and cognitive development.

The point however is that we should be then going a step further to understand what is actually causing the breakdown in the Mother’s homeostatic function and how we can better support her in an effort to optimize her health.

Is her job too demanding?

Does she suffer from an auto-immune disease that requires her to take a number of medications, further increasing her toxic load?

Does she have adequate support systems in place to facilitate the development of a healthy breastfeeding relationship?

Rather than stopping at “she’s elected to formula feed her child” how can we use this information to enhance our standards of Maternal care to ensure her body is functioning optimally, thereby reducing the risk for the ever-growing number of Postpartum conditions, both physical and mental/emotional. At this point, Postpartum Depression is found to affect between 10% and 15% of new mothers, and this study shows a direct correlation between Maternal stress and HPA activity and infant growth, development and Postpartum Maternal well-being.

All of this to say that at the end of the day, the way a Mother chooses to feed her child is her choice, but I feel that as a practitioner, it is my job to explore the underlying messages that the body is sending in these circumstances in order to help the Mother then make the most educated and informed decisions.

Herbicides  in Commercial Formula

This is perhaps the most critical aspect when considering formula vs. Human Milk, as it is what truly impacts the long-term health and well-being of the child.

In the US, 97% of crops are sprayed with an herbicide. Including corn and soy, two of the main components in Commerical Formula, and dairy cows (responsible for the skim milk solids found in formula) are also fed a diet rich in corn and other crops that are sprayed with things like atrizine and glyphosate. This means that nearly every component of Commercial Formula is contaminated in some way with chemical herbicides and pesticides.

This is significant when we consider the research surrounding glyphosate consumption and disease and the minimal amounts required to initiate a breakdown in immune and liver function, as well as cognitive development.

A few key studies on the prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease are:

This study shows the prevalence of  Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Found in Rats Following Chronic Exposure to an Ultra-Low Dose of Roundup Herbicide

Clinical epidemiology and disease burden of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
“It is currently estimated that the global prevalence of NAFLD is as high as one billion[4]. In the United States, NAFLD is estimated to be the most common cause of chronic liver disease, affecting between 80 and 100 million individuals, among whom nearly 25% progress to NASH”

This study shows the increasing rate and Epidemiology of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in North America
“The overall prevalence of NAFLD in the U.S. is estimated to be 24%.”

And here are two additional studies on the impact glyphosate has on the development and maintenance of good health:

Glyphosate has limited short-term effects on commensal bacterial community composition in the gut environment due to sufficient aromatic amino acid levels
This study indicates the direct impact glyphosate has on our biochemical pathway for aromatic amino acid synthesis (Shikimate pathway). Glyphosate directly inhibits this process thereby reducing our ability to synthesize amino acids (essentially reducing our ability to process and use proteins from our food). The study also suggests that a gut filled with adequate amino acids reduced the toxic effects of glyphosate on intestinal microflora… Except, if the glyphosate is on the foods we’re consuming to get the amino acids, how do we ensure adequate levels to protect us from the glyphosate itself?

Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance
“Celiac disease, and, more generally, gluten intolerance, is a growing problem worldwide, but especially in North America and Europe, where an estimated 5% of the population now suffers from it. … Here, we propose that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup®, is the most important causal factor in this epidemic”

What we can take away from this is the need for an open line of communication surrounding toxins and chemicals being used on our foods and especially, the foods manufactured for consumption by infants. By increasing awareness of these issues, we may then be able to increase availability and affordability of less contaminated, organic options, thereby potentially reducing the incidence of a number of childhood and long-term illnesses that have been proven to begin in infancy.

Sugar and Dairy Addiction

Finally, as it pertains to the health ramifications of many of the synthetic components of commercial-grade infant formula, we have addiction.

Though not widely discussed, it is important to touch on it here as it pertains to the development of one of the MAIN complaints I receive from clients, and that is: “My child won’t eat anything but carbohydrates and dairy products like rice, pasta, crackers, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream.”

Biologically, children who are still growing prefer sweets. This is a mechanism of adaptation developed to help children source foods that would yield the most caloric and energetic benefits.

Unfortunately, when we consider formula, and the means by which sugar is best assimilated within the body to avoid spikes in blood sugar (that lead to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction) we see that many of the components present in infant formula are likely to interfere with adequate sugar-combining to encourage a slow, consistent rate of digestion that is gentle on the metabolic pathways. Sugar is best consumed with a protein and/or a fat to encourage this slowing of digestion and proper assimilation of nutrients while maintaining a feeling of satiation longer. As we learned above, glyphosate has a direct effect on amino acid synthesis in an already deficient gut lining, and, since an infant’s only means of nutrition comes from human milk or formula for the first 6 months, they have no other source of amino acids and are much more likely to be lacking adequate amino acid stores to offset the damage potentially caused by the presence of glyphosate. This study shows a direct correlation in an infant’s amino acid composition in infant formula enriched with amino acids vs. regular formula (which tends to be rich in protein but lacking in individual amino acids).

That same study also concluded that infants fed regular formula also tended towards an elevated serum insulin level which, if elevated consistently over time, can lead to insulin resistance, metabolic conditions and sugar cravings.

In addition to a direct impact on insulin secretion, dairy products have been shown to interact with the opioid receptors of the central nervous system, and while in healthy individuals these effects could be beneficial, in those with intestinal permeability this can lead to a number of health concerns, including future dependence (learn more about that here)

So what does this mean?

As discussed in this study, the introduction of anything other than human milk in the first 6 months of life increases the risk of intestinal permeability (leaky gut).

Intestinal permeability is where the lining of the intestines that has relatively loose junctions at birth (to help babies optimize the number of nutrients they receive from breastmilk) do not seal or “tighten” properly. “Leaky gut” can also occur later in life as a result of chronic inflammation in the digestive tract.

This process leads to a number of health concerns as the foods consumed by a permeable digestive system begin to travel, undigested, outwards into the body. This often leads to an increase in inflammatory processes and plays a significant role in the development of allergies and auto-immune conditions and is directly correlated with the development of dysbiosis.

If we take what we now know about intestinal permeability and how it affects infants in their first 6 months of life, paired with the understanding that dysbiosis causes a breakdown in neurotransmitter production which has a direct effect on behaviours, moods and sensory processing, it becomes clear that it is extremely important to develop a keen understanding of the chemical and toxic compounds that may be present in our children’s main food sources as they have potential to alter cravings, lead to the development of addictions for nutritionally void, carbohydrate-dense foods and ultimately alter a child’s relationship to food long-term.

in essence, our children are leaving infancy addicted to simple sugars and dairy, lacking in the proper enzymes to assist in the breakdown and assimilation of those compounds into bioavailable nutrients, and those clunky molecules are then traveling outside of the digestive tract leading to allergies, asthma and other immune responses as their under-developed innate immune systems fail to properly handle this situation —all the while their intestinal bacterial composition moves out of balance, leading to an increase in viral and bacterial infections, chronic inflammation (eczema, asthma, allergies, mood disorders), and sugar and carbohydrate dependency.

All of this to say that while infant formula definitely has its place and there are many cases where human milk is not the healthier option, it is important that we begin to explore the different layers of this hot button topic.

As someone who struggled to establish a breastfeeding relationship with my first daughter, I am acutely aware of the physical, emotional and mental challenges associated with breastfeeding (after c-section)  I have experienced first-hand the struggles of chronic Mastitis due to an undiagnosed lip tie and I had to use a nipple shield for the first 6 months with one of my children due to a breastfeeding injury I sustained and I remember vividly how unprepared I was for the level of commitment and nutritional well-being that breastfeeding requires from a Mother.

Regardless of how you choose to feed your infant, I want to pull back the curtain on food science vs. health and the nuanced differences between the two. I think it is important to note that in my research, I discovered that

food scientists (especially in the US) are not required to take even an introductory nutrition course and in many cases, they begin their career as a Chemical Engineer.

I’m interested to hear your thoughts on this. Did you assume that those in charge of the chemicals in our food would also be expected to have a functional understanding of how that which we consume then interacts with our own innate physiology to create either health or dis-ease states? Or were you aware of the fact that our foods are designed by people with little to no nutritional experience?

Comment down below with your thoughts on this.

In conclusion, I know that this can be an extremely divisive topic and many new mothers can be left feeling overwhelmed and at a loss. The literature can be quite dense and the digestible information can be incredibly contradictory from piece to piece. It can seem as though advocates for Breastfeeding fail to recognize the struggles and challenges faced by new Mothers who are simply trying their best to do what’s right for their child, and formula proponents can be quick to suggest science equates to health across the board, which isn’t always the case.

My goal with this post was not to shame or to add fuel to an already growing fire in the bellies of Mothers everywhere, but rather to expand the levels of awareness with regards to what is actually in these foods, with hopes that by educating, we will be able to steward the collective towards a holistic approach to this ever-growing issue. Ideally, one that consists of healthier, less commercial-grade infant formulas with an emphasis on organic ingredients and an approachable price point; while simultaneously creating space for a much deeper conversation about maternal and infant health and ways that we can increase education and communication to help facilitate healing in mothers-to-be before they reach their breastfeeding journey to help set them up for success both physically and emotionally in their Postpartum journeys.

This includes removing the stigma around breastfeeding vs. formula feeding and which mode is best.

Empowering women to see their bodies for what they truly are — powerful vessels of life, unparalleled by anything else in the world. Encouraging employers and our patriarchal workforce as a whole to expand their thinking and acceptance of women in the workplace, providing accommodations like extended leave, pumping stations, leaves of absence, modified workloads to help reduce stress, etc. — these are the things that will begin to facilitate great change, but only once we move past the divisiveness of which is best. At the end of the day, health is best and my focus is, and always will be, supporting the health of my clients and their children.

If you’ve made it this far and you’re looking at practical pre-natal and post-natal nutritional options to help with the things discussed in this post, in addition to Organic Formula, I recommend the following:

Infant Probiotic Drops (link)

Whether fed human milk or infant formula, these neonatal probiotic drops are an excellent source of human-strain bacteria critical in the development of a healthy flora within each level of the digestive tract.

These probiotics are extremely important when dealing with colic, reflux, explosive bowel movements, constant crying/periods of purple crying and they help to facilitate proper development and synthesis of neurotransmitters like serotonin and melatonin which play an integral part in encouraging healthy sleep/wake cycles in infants.

Click HERE to schedule a FREE call to learn more about Infant Probiotic Drops.

Maternal and Infant Pre and Post Natal Care

Often as new Mothers we spend countless hours selecting our midwife or OB, researching the perfect bassinet, car seats and stroller combos, buying precious outfits and learning about postpartum weight loss before we’ve even gained the weight, and yet one, often overlooked aspect of prenatal care is Prenatal Holistic Nutrition. More than simply “no deli meats or shellfish”, prenatal nutrition is a service developed to help steward your body through the process of fetal development and the postpartum experience while maintaining as optimal health function as possible.

If you’re interested in learning more about Prenatal Holistic Nutritional Support, schedule a FREE call today where we can discuss in further detail, your labour and postpartum goals and how we can create a functional nutritional plan that best supports those initiatives every step of the way.

You May Also Like…

Instant Pot Anti-Inflammatory Yellow Rice Not only does this delicious yellow rice pair well with almost everything,...

0 Comments