Breastfeeding is essential for the baby’s immunity and intestinal health

Free glutamate present in large quantities in breast milk is responsible for these developments.

São Paulo, August 2014 – Breast milk is composed of various substances: vitamins, calcium, iron, fats, lactose, amino acids, among others. However, what few people know is that the amino acid glutamate is the most abundant compared to other amino acids, and that it plays a very important role in the baby’s immune and intestinal development.

This is because when a pathogenic microorganism enters our body, the defense cells begin to fight it. “At this moment, glutamate plays a fundamental role, as it helps transmit the message to other cells so that they can combat the invading microorganism and consequently stop its development, contributing to the immune system,” explains Manoel Baldeón, professor at the University of Quito and Ph.D. in Immunology and Nutrition.

According to a study conducted with 65 Ecuadorian women, it was concluded that mothers should feed their babies exclusively with breast milk for at least the first six months of life, since the milk from the early months still does not contain the adequate amount of the amino acid. “One of the many functions of glutamate in our body is to assist in cell division. We renew our intestines approximately every five days, so the glutamate that babies ingest through breast milk is extremely important for their intestinal development,” explains the specialist.

The study also concluded that, in its three stages, breast milk contains different concentrations of glutamate. In the colostrum stage (the first week of breastfeeding), milk has a low amount of the amino acid; in the second stage, called transitional milk, it contains a greater amount of the substance; and in the third stage, mature milk reaches high levels of glutamate concentration.

UMAMI TASTE
The Umami taste is the fifth basic taste of the human palate and was discovered in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda. However, it was only recognized by the scientific community in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami found specific receptors on taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main substances that confer Umami. Parmesan cheese, tomato, mushrooms, and meats in general are foods that contain these substances in large proportions and therefore have the fifth taste more prominently. The two main characteristics of Umami are increased salivation and the lingering taste for a few minutes after eating the food.

UMAMI COMMITTEE
The Umami Committee Brazil is a group created to discuss and promote topics related to the fifth basic taste of the human palate, Umami. The committee has a direct connection with the Umami Information Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to research on the subject.