Overweight and obesity have been proposed to have their origins in not just childhood but from dietary intake during the very early months and years of life. The proposal presumes that what a baby consumes during the perinatal and infant stages of development set the tone for weight gain later in life. In particular, the question posed by many a researcher is the following: Do formula fed babies tend to be overweight or obese later in life as children or even later as adults?
While a seemingly absurd proposal, the number of studies looking at this very issue is surprisingly large. The biologic plausibility of this proposal is based upon a fundamental set of observations regarding the comparison of breast fed versus bottle fed babies. Breast fed babies tend to gain less weight in the first 18 months of life when compared side by side to their bottle (formula) fed brethren. Which is surprising given the following comparison of an ounce of each:
Human Breast Milk versus Infant Formula
Kilocalories 22 /20
Protein (grams) 0.32 /0.41
Fat (grams) 1.35 /1.05
Carb (grams) 2.12 /1.93
Calcium (milligrams) 10 /16
Vit C (milligrams) 10 /2.4
Fats (grams)
Saturated 0.619 /0.436
10:0 0.019 /0.011
16:0 0.283 /0.224
18:1 0.454 /0.377
n-3 0.0 /0.003
Comparing the two, much of which I left out for the sake of saving time and coma producing numbers, one can see that infant formula manufacturers have mimicked breast milk in terms of most content. One small difference is in the caloric load. Breast milk is actually more calorically dense than infant formula (and I examined many different formulations). The variable of breast milk is in what the mother consumes. A mother consuming a diet rich in carotenoids or other phytochemicals would likely have breast milk rich in that component. Coastal and seafood eating communities show greater quantities of n-3 fatty acids in breast milk than inland communities. On the other hand, infant formula comes in a host of variations from cow’s milk to soy to fractionated protein and more. Most popular varieties contain arachadonic acid (ARA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) to “promote brain development” in babies.
How then might this comparison lead to breast fed infants consistently weighing less than bottle fed cohorts? There are really only two possibilities:
1. Breast milk contains some component or interaction that promotes normal weight gain. Conversely, infant formula lacks said component and promotes excess weight gain.
While a seemingly absurd proposal, the number of studies looking at this very issue is surprisingly large. The biologic plausibility of this proposal is based upon a fundamental set of observations regarding the comparison of breast fed versus bottle fed babies. Breast fed babies tend to gain less weight in the first 18 months of life when compared side by side to their bottle (formula) fed brethren. Which is surprising given the following comparison of an ounce of each:
Human Breast Milk versus Infant Formula
Kilocalories 22 /20
Protein (grams) 0.32 /0.41
Fat (grams) 1.35 /1.05
Carb (grams) 2.12 /1.93
Calcium (milligrams) 10 /16
Vit C (milligrams) 10 /2.4
Fats (grams)
Saturated 0.619 /0.436
10:0 0.019 /0.011
16:0 0.283 /0.224
18:1 0.454 /0.377
n-3 0.0 /0.003
Comparing the two, much of which I left out for the sake of saving time and coma producing numbers, one can see that infant formula manufacturers have mimicked breast milk in terms of most content. One small difference is in the caloric load. Breast milk is actually more calorically dense than infant formula (and I examined many different formulations). The variable of breast milk is in what the mother consumes. A mother consuming a diet rich in carotenoids or other phytochemicals would likely have breast milk rich in that component. Coastal and seafood eating communities show greater quantities of n-3 fatty acids in breast milk than inland communities. On the other hand, infant formula comes in a host of variations from cow’s milk to soy to fractionated protein and more. Most popular varieties contain arachadonic acid (ARA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) to “promote brain development” in babies.
How then might this comparison lead to breast fed infants consistently weighing less than bottle fed cohorts? There are really only two possibilities:
1. Breast milk contains some component or interaction that promotes normal weight gain. Conversely, infant formula lacks said component and promotes excess weight gain.
or
2. Bottle fed infants actually consume larger amounts because of the difference in delivery systems.
My feeling is bottle fed babies actually consume more liquid than breast fed babies. A study needing to answer this question might look at breast milk expressed into a bottle compared to infant formula from a bottle. Which would gain the most weight?
More later.
My feeling is bottle fed babies actually consume more liquid than breast fed babies. A study needing to answer this question might look at breast milk expressed into a bottle compared to infant formula from a bottle. Which would gain the most weight?
More later.
1 comment:
WG: You forgot one thing in the comparison.
Human Breast Milk: $ 0
Formula Milk: $ (fill whatever number you like here as long as it reflects the revenues/ profits made by manufacturers of formula milk)
Is it any surprise that so many studies are funded in this area? Who funds these studies?
Also, feminists might say this is one way to keep lactating mothers tethered to the house and not return to their jobs etc.
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