Breast milk helps boost the child’s DNA study

Mother’s milk has the ability to boost the immune system and the intestinal development of the baby, improving his DNA, suggests a novel study by a leading researcher at the University of Illinois.

Almost all the genes which are enhanced by breast milk contribute towards the development of the child’s immunity and his DNA structure.

Breast milk triggers gene expression
The mother’s milk affects the child’s gene expression, the process through which gene instructions help in synthesizing a functional gene product like proteins.

Instructions are already present in the genes in order to synthesize a functional gene product. However, they simply need to be turned on.

This gene expression results in “turning on” the genes, claim researchers.

Lead researcher Sharon Donovan of the University of Illinois said that it has already been known that breast milk contains immune-protective components that lower a breast-fed infant’s risk for all kinds of illnesses.

“But what we haven’t known is how breast milk protects the infant and particularly how it regulates the development of the intestine,” Donovan said, adding that understanding those differences could help formula makers develop a product that is more like the real thing.

“Genes are really sensitive to nutrition. And we now have genes that may explain many of the clinical observations of how breast—fed and formula—fed infants differ,” she told LiveScience.

Details of the study
For the study, the researchers compared 10 three-month-old babies who were fed with the old formula to 12 breast-fed babies.

They then analyzed the signs of gene expression, found as the messenger RNA in the children.

Formula and breast milk had unique effects on almost 146 genes in the infants, the study reveals.

Out of the 146 genes, many helped against “leaky gut”, a disorder leading foreign particles to enter the blood vessels through the intestinal wall.

Leaky gut triggers allergies and various other inflammatory diseases like asthma, colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Leaky gut is commonly found in formula-fed babies, previous research has suggested.

According to Sharon Donovan, “immune protective compounds are present in breast milk they help the baby fight against illnesses. It is still unknown how the development of intestine is linked with breast milk.”

Once that is known though, the formula-makers may be able to develop a product which can replicate the same thing.