The ingredients in breast milk are good for children’s digestion and immunity

According to many experts, breast milk is a symbol of protection and devotion that every mother wants to give to her child. Breast milk is considered a precious natural gift, with a rich source of nutrients that helps build a child’s health foundation, especially the digestive system and immune system in the first years of life.

HMO enhances children’s digestive and immune system health

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Viet Ha, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, National Children’s Hospital, said that breast milk contains HMO (Human Milk Oligosaccharides) – one of the important biologically active substances. This nutrient plays a key role in nourishing beneficial intestinal bacteria, thereby helping to enhance children’s digestive health and immune health.

Research around the world shows that only breast milk contains HMO, other mammals’ milk does not produce this nutrient. Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Viet Ha further analyzed that most HMOs have the ability to resist enzymes in the child’s digestive tract, so HMOs reach the colon relatively intact. Here, they can be metabolized by resident bacteria or excreted in feces.

The doctor emphasized that a healthy digestive system is an important foundation for a child’s comprehensive development. When the digestive system is healthy, children can absorb maximum nutrients from breast milk and other food sources, contributing to both physical and intellectual development.

A mother’s feelings when she doesn’t have enough milk for her baby

Because of the benefits that breast milk brings to children, mothers try to breastfeed as much as possible. However, the breastfeeding experience also comes with many challenges. According to the survey on breastfeeding conducted above VnExpress At the end of November, up to 45.5% of 532 participants said they could not exclusively breastfeed their children for the first 6 months of life.

Many mothers shared that, despite being very careful and not missing any pumping sessions, their milk was only enough to fill the bottle. Mothers worry when their children’s digestive and immune systems are still weak but do not receive the best support because they lack valuable nutrients from breast milk.

Ms. Minh Huong (30 years old, Hanoi) spent a month trying many methods to stimulate milk production but was unsuccessful. “Every time I see my baby crying because of lack of breast milk, I feel very sad, afraid that he won’t get enough nutrition, which will affect his digestive system and overall health.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Ngoc Lan (27 years old, Ho Chi Minh City), a bank employee, has difficulty balancing work and taking care of her children. Returning to work after vacation, Ms. Lan did not have enough time to breastfeed her baby directly. The pressure to meet targets at the company caused her to have many sleepless nights, and her milk supply gradually decreased. Her baby, when not exclusively breastfed, began to suffer from intestinal diseases that made her stressed.

Solutions from businesses

Understanding the importance of the first 1,000 days of life to a child’s digestive system, many dairy businesses are promoting research on optimal nutritional products for children. In particular, Vinamilk – the “big brother” of the Vietnamese dairy industry puts a lot of effort into research and development programs for products that support children’s digestive health and resistance, helping mothers relieve the burden of their journey. child rearing program. Vinamilk products have won many prestigious awards, notably the Purity Award – recognizing the purity, safety and transparency of raw materials.

Recently, Vinamilk has just marked a milestone on the journey of research and application of nutritional science when re-launching the Optimum powdered milk product line – the first baby formula product line in Vietnam to add 6 HMOs, accounting for 6 HMOs. 58% of total HMOs are in breast milk, according to market research firm CI Research. Before Optimum, the Vietnamese milk market only had products containing 5 HMOs, accounting for about 48% of the total amount of HMOs in breast milk.

The 6 HMOs in Optimum milk belong to all 3 main HMO groups found in breast milk: Fucosylated group (including 2′-FL, 3-FL, DFL), Sialylated group (including 3′-SL, 6′-SL) and Non- Fucosylated (LNT).

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Viet Ha, in addition to the basic advantages, each HMO group brings unique benefits. Neutral non-fucosylated groups (LNT) help nourish the intestinal microflora, neutral groups containing fucosylated (especially 3-FL) support immune enhancement, and acidic groups such as DFL play an important role in Anti-inflammatory and protects children from pathogens. Combining many types of HMO in the formula helps optimize the benefits of each type of HMO, while creating outstanding resonance, helping children develop a healthy digestive system, a strong immune system, and reduce the risk of diseases. infectious disease.

Inspired by the valuable nutrients in breast milk, Optimum powdered milk, in addition to 6 HMOs, also adds Whey protein rich in alpha-Lactalbumin with a content of 2.2g/L ((the alpha-Lactalbumin content in breast milk is 2 -3 g/L). This type of protein has a structure similar to the natural protein in breast milk, helping the baby easily digest and absorb, limiting bloating and indigestion.

Besides, Optimum also enhances 2 billion beneficial bacteria BB -12 and LGG in 100 grams of milk powder, combined with soluble fiber FOS/GOS. These probiotics play a role in supporting the balance of intestinal microflora, while FOS/GOS and 6 types of HMO serve as food for probiotics, helping them grow and function more effectively. This combination also helps improve the digestive system, creating conditions for children to best absorb nutrients, especially Whey protein – an important foundational factor for children’s comprehensive development in the first 1,000 days of life.

Kim Anh