Breastfeeding guarantees the benefits of Umami taste from birth

Humans, after weaning, differ from other mammals by continuing to consume milk. With an increasing presence in the job market, many women end up putting breastfeeding in the background or even stop doing it altogether. Many mothers have to resort to powdered milk and supplements to replace feeding – due to lack of time, the baby’s refusal, or the need for supplementation. However, only breast milk can provide essential benefits for the baby’s development, in addition to the unique taste it has. In this case, the supply of breast milk from hospital milk banks is an option.

WHO (World Health Organization) recommends that children be breastfed during the first six months of life. During this period, breast milk should be their only food.

Breast milk contributes to immunity

But why is breast milk so important? The Ministry of Health explains that breastfeeding works like a kind of vaccine, protecting the child from many diseases, such as anemia. In addition, the presence of Non-protein Nitrogen (NPN) helps in the development of the baby’s intestines, since it contains small peptides, urea, creatinine, nucleic acids, free amino acids, among other elements. The concentration of glutamate, which gives breast milk its umami taste, increases after the first three months of breastfeeding, reaching approximately 50% of the total free amino acids; it is this high concentration that ensures very important physiological functions for the baby.

A study conducted with 65 Ecuadorian women concluded that mothers should feed their children exclusively with breast milk for at least the first six months of life. “One of the many functions of glutamate in our body is aiding 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 author of the research and professor at the University of Quito and Ph.D. in immunology and nutrition, Manuel Baldeón. In addition, in situations of intestinal stress, glutamate acts by eliminating part of the free radicals and protecting the organ from functional and structural damage, that is: umami is a health ally from birth!

In addition to all these positive points, the act of breastfeeding helps in the formation of the dental arch by promoting the act of sucking, which brings improvements in the baby’s speech and breathing development. The mother’s recovery also improves when breastfeeding occurs: the risks of hemorrhage, anemia, diabetes, breast and ovarian cancer are reduced. And the best part: breastfeeding helps the mother lose the weight gained during pregnancy and strengthens maternal bonds.