Probiotics and Breastfeeding
By: Iva Colter
Tags: Enzyme, Biology, Health

Once upon a time, breast milk was considered the best food for babies. Until now, many people still believe in this. However, even the most perfect food in nature can be contaminated by the earth’s ecology destroyed by humans. The pollution and destruction of the ecological environment and the lifestyles of modern society have caused many women to reduce their milk production, while the quality of milk is also declining. This situation is particularly evident in large cities and heavily polluted areas.

There is evidence that the quality of breast milk has declined worldwide. Obviously, it is mainly due to the presence of human pollutants in the air, water and food chain. The quality of breast milk directly affects the composition of the baby’s intestinal flora. The intestinal flora of babies today is very different from those of babies half a century ago. Although Bifidobacterium infantis is the preferred colonizing bacteria, more recent studies have shown that other species of bifidobacteria, such as Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum, are now the dominant bacteria in the intestines of breastfed babies.

Dr. Rasic pointed out that Bifidobacterium infantis is not as “strong” as other Bifidobacteria, which means that it is rarely found in the food chain, air and water. Even so, Bifidobacterium infantis can resist invading harmful microorganisms in the intestine, including E. coli, Klebsiella and even Salmonella.

In a 1988 research paper “The presence of Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium bifidum in the intestines of infants and adults”, Dr. J.L. Rasic reported the changes in the composition of the intestinal flora of German infants in the past 30 years. This study showed a decrease in the number of bifidobacteria and a decline in strains in breastfed babies. The decline in beneficial bacteria is accompanied by an increase in the number of unwanted pathogenic microorganisms. From 1974 to 1977, the last few years of the study, it was found that more than 10% of babies had no Bifidobacterium detected in their feces.

The same trend was also found in premature babies. Although the number of bifidobacteria in premature babies is less than that of full-pregnant babies, there are also a small amount of bifidobacteria in these fragile new lives.

Dr. Rasic discovered that two types of dangerous bacteria-Klebsiella and coliform bacteria can grow steadily in some babies of the same age. These kinds of pathogenic bacteria are now generally found to be resistant to antibiotics. Dr. Rasic also noticed that the average pH of the baby’s gastrointestinal tract gradually increased, indicating a decrease in acidity in the large intestine. Obviously this will promote the overgrowth of bad bacteria and fungi.

Researchers in the UK, Germany and France have confirmed Dr. Rasic’s findings. Using computer models, a group of scientists predicted that babies’ intestinal tracts are inevitably facing the constant loss of beneficial bacteria along with an increase in dangerous pathogenic bacteria. This replacement of the flora will have serious consequences.

Dr. A. Schecter and T. Gasiewicz outlined this problem in their 1987 book (Solving the Problem of Hazardous Waste). They proved that toxic chemicals such as polychlorinated diphenylfurans have increased in human milk in different regions (the United States, Canada and Vietnam). Breastfeeding infants are the front line of receiving these toxic substances. It is understandable that the content of toxic substances in human milk in Vietnam is much higher than that in the United States and Canada. This is due to the extensive use of herbicides during the Vietnam War. However, potentially carcinogenic chemicals have also been found in the breast milk of North American women.

In 1980, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a paper “The Effect of Breastfeeding on Intestinal Bifidobacterium in Newborns” by three doctors H. Beerens, C. Romond, and C. Neut. Three pointed out that feeding babies with different combinations of bifidobacteria, the number of bifidobacteria may be similar, but the types are different. These differences can have a great impact on health. The study also showed that the main difference between cow’s milk and breast-fed babies is that cow-fed babies have high levels of dangerous bacteria of the Bacteroides, Clostridium and E. coli. Such a high content will not decrease as the child grows up.

After examining various food sources that can enhance the colonization of beneficial bacteria in the baby’s gastrointestinal tract, the doctor concluded that human milk is still the best. They wrote: No other mammal’s milk can promote the growth of bifidobacteria.