Mother s milk will provide the infant with all of the nutrients necessary for healthy development and without the hazards of antibiotic and hormone residues. Furthermore, breast milk contains an ideal amount of protein, unlike cow s milk, which contains far too much protein, along with saturated fat and cholesterol. Human milk protein is composed of about 60 percent whey and 40 percent curd. Cow s milk, however, contains about 80 percent curd. This is fine for a baby calf, but human infants have difficulty digesting so much curd.
Breast milk has a greater percentage of unsaturated fat as well.
A protein in cow s milk, IgG, has been implicated in colic, a condition in which infants spit up continually and produce a high-pitched scream. Even in infants where dairy is avoided, colic remains a risk if the mother ingests dairy products. Dairy products are one of the leading sources of delayed food allergies and may cause a variety of symptoms including skin rash, diarrhea, gas, bloating, runny nose, and headache. Another major concern is the condition mentioned earlier known as lactose intolerance. At about four years of age, the body naturally stops producing the digestive enzyme lactase.