Breast milk and cow's milk

Comparison between breast milk and cow's milk

One of the animal milks that comes closest to that of humans is cow's milk. The comparison between the two types of milk is shown in the table:

COMPONENTS

HUMAN MILK (100 g)

COW'S MILK (100 g)

Proteins in grams (g) 1,2 3,3

whey proteins
α-lactalbumin
b-lactoglobulin
lactotransferrin
immunoglobulins
casein

0,72
0,35
0
0,10-0,15
0,10-0,15
0,48 0,6
0,15-0,18
0,37
0,02-0,05
0,05
2,9 Sugars in grams 7 4

lactose
oligosaccharides

6
1 4
traces Lipids in grams 3,5 3,5

saturated fatty acids
unsaturated fatty acids

45%
55% 75%
25%

CALORIES

65 Kcal / 100 g

67-68 Kcal / 100g

The unparalleled properties of breast milk

The caloric share is practically the same between the two, as well as the lipid one. What distinguishes the two types of milk is the type of fatty acid contained: while in women's milk there is a prevalence of unsaturated fatty acids (55%), in the cow's milk this share is only 25%. The most striking difference it is however that of the protein content: 1.2 g of human milk against 3.3 g of cow's milk. This is practically a 3 to 1 ratio. Therefore, having to use cow's milk to feed a newborn, it must be absolutely diluted, because the proteins are too high in cow's milk, and precipitate in the stomach in large flakes (massive flocculation), creating a kind of nodular mass that will be regurgitated by the newborn. The protein component most involved in this phenomenon is casein, which is present in cow's milk with a share of 2.9 g, compared to 0.48 g in human milk. However, diluting cow's milk to reduce the protein content, the lipid content is also reduced; consequently, the percentage of fatty acids unsaturated i reaches a nutritionally insignificant level. Here then the cow's milk will be added with this nutrient.
The amount of carbohydrates in cow's milk is lower; to bring it to a value similar to that of human milk, just add sugars, for example sucrose. Although it is not the same sugar that characterizes that of human milk, that is lactose, it still allows to restore the carbohydrate and caloric content.
Women's milk is a complete and optimal food for the infant and does not require any supplementation. The exception is the administration of vitamin D, since it appears unlikely that in the first months of life the need (notoriously not covered by the vitamin D contained in milk) can be compensated by the infant's exposure to the sun (sun exposure stimulates the production of this vitamin in humans). The recommended dose is 400 IU per day for the entire first year, starting from the first month.
Modifications to cow's milk are valid if done at an industrial level: in this case, the protein content is separated, lactose, unsaturated vegetable fatty acids are added and the saturated ones are reduced. With all these modifications you get the so-called formulated milk or infant milk or, more commonly, formula milk.
Although the artificial product has the great merit of obviating the nutritional requirements of the newborn, it certainly creates a metabolic effort: therefore, any condition of precarious balance of the child, such as a disease for example, can trigger infectious phenomena (enteritis) even if Fortunately, these are much rarer than in the past.
Another difference between breast milk and artificial milk concerns b-lactoglobulin which, in the context of proteins, is the most allergenic: it follows a notable incidence of milk allergies which, on the other hand, rarely appear in breast-fed infants. If these should occur in breastfed babies, even if in extremely rare cases, it is not allergies to breast milk, but allergies to proteins carried by the mother's milk itself. For example, if the woman consumes cow's milk, some cow proteins still practically intact can be found in the milk she produces; this is the explanation of how there are cases in which intolerance to cow's milk occurs even in a breastfed child. The therapy consists in modifying the woman's diet; once this is done, the child can resume breastfeeding without any problem. otherwise.