eli5: why isn’t formula milk just formulated to be better than breastmilk?
In: 1316
Because breast milk is really, really complicated. Evolution has a head start of multiple million years at generating the best fuel for infants, and currently our best bet when developing formula milk is to make it as similar to breast milk as possible. However, a number of features cannot be realisticly replicated with our current technology.
For one thing, the milk that is secreted when the infant begins to feed is different from the milk secreted in the end. In the beginning the milk is high in sugar to make the child eat more. At the end of the feeding session, the milk is high in fat to make the child feel sated and stop eating.
Another thing is, scientists continue to discover a vast number of compounds in breast milk, many of which are so unstable they will break down into something else if you put them on storage in a formula mix. Some of these are antibodies that help the child’s immune system repel illnesses, or probiotics that help develop a bacterial flora in the child’s gut that is crucial for the child’s future health. And many, many more compounds are found that have a so far unknown purpose (but you can bet they are good for something!)
Having a formulated milk be better than breast milk would require you to synthesize it on the spot, tailored to your child’s needs at that moment. I’m not saying it is impossible, but we are talking decades or even centuries of technological development before this is realistic
If you are able to breast-feed your child, I highly recommend doing so. Formula milk is serviceable but inferior to the real deal
Latest Answers