Power and Potential: Human Milk Oligosaccharides
Human Milk
“Exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months is very important because it protects the health and life of infants. Many diseases, including diarrhea, respiratory and urinary tract infections, otitis media, bacteraemia and necrotizing enterocolitis are less common in breastfed children. Breastfeeding also has an impact on the course of other immune-related diseases such as celiac disease, asthma, allergy, type 1 diabetes, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia.” (Wiciński, Sawicka, Gębalski, Kubiak, Malinowski, 2020)
An important factor in developing and honing an infant microbiome- particularly gut microbiome- is breastfeeding. It was only about 100 years ago that doctors started examining why breastfed infants were surviving at higher rates than those fed animal milk or the formulas of the time. In 1930, the first unique component separating human breast milk from its alternatives was found.
HMOs
The prominent ingredient that makes human milk unique is human milk oligosaccharides (ollie-go-sack-a-rides), or HMOs. These HMOs are complex indigestible sugars, and are the third most abundant solid component of breastmilk. So far over 130 types of HMOs have been identified! HMOs have an invaluable effect on an infant’s development, aiding in protection and growth. This is where I get practically giddy from fascination. The surprising thing is that us humans do NOT require HMOs… they are not food for us! Why would a grown human body specifically produce something to feed a baby human that is not needed for growing our human cells? If you’ve never been convinced before, here’s your sign that we rely on bacteria, and have for a very long time as a species!
How do HMOs work their “magic”?
“Oligosaccharides provide food for helpful microbes such as Bifidobacterium. They also coat the lining of the gut and bind to pathogenic bacteria, making it more difficult for disease-causing microbes to invade.” (DeWeerdt, 2018)
Once the human milk has reached the infant’s large intestine, bifidobacteria ferment the HMOs. Bifidobacteria has been identified as a generally healthy and helpful group of bacteria, and they will grow when fed their preferred fibers, such as HMOs. The fermentation releases an acid that reduces the pH in the intestine, leading to a less-than hospitable environment for harmful pathogens. Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are also promoted by the fermentation process, and SCFAs are crucial for a healthy colon, with further implications for a healthy immune system.
Colostrum, or the thicker substance secreted in the late stages of pregnancy or immediately after birth, has the highest concentration of HMOs, and then mature milk has about ¾ of that initial amount, further decreasing as the baby ages. So far, science has not found a way to create an artificial but complete breastmilk formula, but it’s in the works. For now, formulas containing mixtures of galactooligosaccharides (GOSs) and fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) or inulin, or formulas with added 2′-fucosyllactose (2′FL) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT) are the next best thing for mimicking human milk’s prebiotic benefits.
“Human milk is the perfect food for infants, called ‘living tissue’ by many because it not only maintains an ideal balance of nutrients but also contains countless bioactive ingredients,” (Wiciński, Sawicka, Gębalski, Kubiak, Malinowski, 2020)
Future of HMOs
Recent and current studies are examining HMOs, including trying to establish what a “normal” range/quantity is for human milk and infants, using HMOs as an intervention in adults to support a healthy gut microbiome, and consuming HMOs as a treatment for allergies. When you hear people say that human milk is like liquid gold, now you know one small reason why!
TLDR: Human milk for infants contains a unique and powerful ingredient: human milk oligosaccharides, or HMOs. HMOs do not feed humans, but they do support a healthy microbiome and immune system!
Sources and helpful info:
Collen, A. (2015). 10% Human: How your body’s microbes hold the key to health and happiness. HarperCollins.
DeWeerdt, S. (2018, March 7). How baby’s first microbes could be crucial to future health. Nature, 555, S18-19.
https://media.nature.com/original/magazine-assets/d41586-018-02480-6/d41586-018-02480-6.pdf
Kunz C. (2012). Historical aspects of human milk oligosaccharides. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 3(3), 430S–9S. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.111.001776
Wiciński, M., Sawicka, E., Gębalski, J., Kubiak, K., & Malinowski, B. (2020). Human Milk Oligosaccharides: Health Benefits, Potential Applications in Infant Formulas, and Pharmacology. Nutrients, 12(1), 266. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010266
