Breast milk is one of the most valuable gifts we can give a baby. And it is about a food that has multiple benefits for him: protects you from respiratory infections in childhood, helps reduce the risk of sudden death and improves the structure of the heart in the case of premature babies.
Now one study adds one more benefit to the list, as it was found that oligosaccharides present in breast milk may help prevent the baby from suffering from food allergies in the future.
Researchers at the San Diego School of Medicine at the University of California shared in Allergy magazine a study in which analyzed the relationship of breast milk with sensitivity to certain foods during childhood.
The composition of certain sugars, specifically oligosaccharides, which are the third solid component found in breast milk after lactose and fat, could play an important role in preventing future food allergies.
This is because oligosaccharides act as probiotics that help guide the development of the intestinal microbiota in infants and children, which according to other studies, are a key part in the development of allergies.
The researchers found that although there was no individual oligosaccharide that was associated with sensitivity to certain foods, the overall composition of oligosaccharides played a role in it.
The composition of oligosaccharides found in breast milk can vary, and is determined by various factors, such as gestational age, mother's health, geographic location and whether or not she is exclusively breastfeeding, which causes them to be obtained various oligosaccharide profiles.
They managed to identify an oligosaccharide profile that could be beneficial, because was associated with a lower rate of food sensitivity in children one year of age.
It was concluded that There is a relationship between the composition of oligosaccharides and the prevention of future food allergies, and consider that, starting from this point, further research could be carried out to establish the long-term consequences of oligosaccharides, and even be able to modify them in the future so that they can be used in a therapeutic way.
