It is not always easy to breastfeed. And many who opt for the bottle think to themselves: ‘I grew up with it too’. Yet there is now research showing that a special kind of sugar molecule in breast milk is essential for developing brains. And it may also be good for the elderly.
A baby who is breastfed seems to have an advantage in terms of brain development. Yet there is also hope for those who go for the bottle: the researchers are convinced that this new information can be used to produce even better formula. According to the scientists, it is also interesting to conduct further research into the role this sugar molecule plays in the brain during ageing. People who suffer from mental disorders have abnormal values of the substance in their blood.
Melons
The substance that it’s all about is myo-inositol, a sugar molecule that is hardly found in cow’s milk, but is found in human breast milk. Especially in the first two months after birth, the micronutrient is prominent in breast milk. Myo-inositol is also found naturally in certain grains, bran, beans, citrus fruits and melons.
Research has shown that a large number of new synapses (neural connections) are formed in the baby brain under the influence of the substance. Also the scientists found an increase in the size of the synapses, indicating a stronger connection. It does not matter what ethnicity or background the mother has. Breastfeeding samples from Mexico City, Shanghai and Cincinnati all showed the same thing.
Blood brain barrier
“The formation and refinement of the connections between the brain cells and brain areas depends on genetic and environmental factors, as well as the experiences you have as a human being,” says Yale neurologist Thomas Biederer.
Our diet is one of the environmental factors that lends itself perfectly to research. It strongly seems that a baby’s brain is extra sensitive to the ingested nutrients in the first months, because the blood-brain barrier – which prevents toxins and bacteria, for example, from entering the brain – is more permeable. Small molecules from food can then more easily make the transition from the blood to the brain.
Dynamic breast milk
“It’s amazing how complex and rich human breastfeeding is,” says Biederer. “It strongly appears that breast milk production dynamically adjusts in the months after birth, guiding the different stages of the development of the young brain.” He points out that women around the world have similar levels of myo-inositol in breast milk. This provides additional evidence for the claim that the substance plays an important role in human brain development.
That is why the researchers advise adding myo-inositol to artificial baby food. “So that babies who do not have access to breast milk still get enough of this substance,” explains Biederer.
Abnormalities in mental disorders
Previous research has shown that inositol levels in the brain slowly decrease as children get older, but this does not happen to the same extent in everyone. In adults, lower than normal amounts of inositol have been measured in people with bipolar disorder or major depression. Genetic abnormalities related to myo-inositol have been linked to schizophrenia. It is remarkable that higher inositol levels have been found in Alzheimer’s patients and people with Down’s syndrome. However, the researcher thinks it is still too early to recommend myo-inositol for adults as well. “We don’t yet know why inositol levels are lower or higher in people with certain psychiatric disorders.”
Many questions
Many questions remain on the table: is the lack of inositol in depressed and bipolar people an important reason for their illness or is it a side effect of the medicines they take for this? Does the high level of the micronutrient in people with Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome mean that too much myo-inositol is a problem? What is the optimal level of inositol in the brain at different stages of life? “My colleagues and I are continuing to research myo-inositol and other micronutrients that affect brain cells and their connectivity. We hope that this will lead to a better understanding of the interaction between our diet and age-related brain abnormalities,” concludes Biederer.
2023-07-31 16:02:05
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