Angela Zivkovic

Zivkovic and colleagues publish on the interrelation between breast milk components, gut microbiota, and infant health

In an article recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers found that components in human milk protect infants from infection, promote infant growth, and are associated with the composition of the gut microbiota.

Because this study was performed in mothers and infants living in the Gambia, where seasonal shifts in food availability have a large impact on mothers’ diets, researchers also found that these seasonal variations are associated with changes in milk composition.

During the “hungry” season, mothers produced milk with lower concentrations of the protective components, suggesting that diet plays an important role in shaping the protective qualities of milk.

Read the paper online

Contact

Angela Zivkovic, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Nutrition
(530) 554-2534
amzivkovic@ucdavis.edu

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