Human milk is the perfect food for our human babies, learn a few of the many reasons why:

Stem Cells found in Breastmilk
By Catherine Madden - ScienceNetwork WA

The Perth scientist who made the world-first discovery that human breast milk contains stem cells is confident that within five years scientists will be harvesting them to research treatment for conditions as far-reaching as spinal injuries, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Read More...


Breastmilk component kills cancer cells
http://www.infactcanada.ca/milkkillscancer.htm

A few years ago immunology student, Anders Hakansson1, of Lund University, Sweden, was experimenting by mixing human milk, cancer cells and bacteria. To his surprise the cancer cells were "acting up". Their volume was decreasing and their nuclei shrinking. Hakansson's supervisor, Catharina Svanborg, quickly recognized that the cancer cells were committing suicide. The phenomenon of apoptosis, whereby the body rids itself of old and unnecessary cells was well known, however for this to occur with cancer cells was unknown as their usual pattern is to reproduce in an uncontrolled fashion. Something in the breastmilk caused the cancer cells to self-destruct. Svanborg and her team had already done extensive investigation in the ability of breastmilk to protect the gut lining from invasive bacteria such as pneumococcus that causes the increased rates of upper respiratory tract infections and otitis media in children not breastfed. And so they began to track down the cancer-killing component in breastmilk. Then in 1995 they reported2 that the protein alpha-lactalbumin, or alpha-lac for short, was capable of targeting not only cancer cells but also other immature and rapidly growing cells, leaving stable, mature cells for growth and development. Alpha-lac's amazing capabilities may explain in part why formula fed infants suffer from increased rates of infectious diseases as well as childhood cancers.

References:
1. Discover Magazine, June 30, 1999
2. Hakahsson, A. et al. Apoptosis induced by a human milk protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 92:8064-8068, 1995

Breastmilk prevents childhood diabetes
http://www.drmirkin.com/diabetes/D216.htm

At the scientific session of the American Diabetic Association meeting in San Diego, Finnish researchers presented evidence that juvenile diabetes may be caused by genetically susceptible children taking cow's milk in the first 6 months of life.

When a germ gets into your bloodstream, your immune system makes proteins called antibodies that attach to and kill that germ. Unfortunately, your immune system makes antibodies against almost all proteins that get into your bloodstream. Adults are protected from making antibodies against proteins in food because they have intact intestines that do not allow whole proteins to pass into their blood streams, but in the first few months of life, infants have holes in their intestines that allow proteins to pass into their bloodstream.

The Finnish researchers showed that cow's milk contains cow insulin that is similar, but not exactly the same as, human insulin. So when cow's milk is taken by infants in the first three months of life, the cow insulin can pass into their blood streams and those genetically susceptible to diabetes develop antibodies that attach to and kill the beta cells of the pancreas that make insulin, causing permanent loss of insulin and diabetes. Other studies show that almost all mothers in Puerto Rico feed cow's milk to their infants. In Cuba, almost all mothers feed from their breasts. Type I diabetes is ten times more common in Puerto Rico than in Cuba. On the basis of this and much other research, those of you who have a family history of diabetes should try to feed your infant from your breast.

*Among infants with family history of juvenile diabetes, those on cow's milk have a much higher incidence of diabetes than those on breast milk.

*Among animals bred to develop diabetes, infant animals given cow's milk have a much higher incidence of diabetes.

*Human babies with antibodies against cow's insulin have a much higher incidence of diabetes.(this study)

*In Puerto Rico, almost all babies get cow's milk. In Cuba, almost all babies are breast fed. Puerto Rican babies are more than 10 times more likely to suffer juvenile diabetes.

1)Burke JP et al. Rapid rise in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes from 1987 to 1996. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1999(July 12);159:1450-1456.
2)Vaarala, M Knip, J Paronen, AM Hamalainen, P Muona, M Vaatainen, J Ilonen, O Simell, HK Akerblom. Cow's milk formula feeding induces primary immunization to insulin in infants at genetic risk for type 1 diabetes. Diabetes, 1999, Vol 48, Iss 7, pp 1389-13947884.
3)LC Harrison, MC Honeyman. Cow's milk and type 1 diabetes - The real debate is about mucosal immune function.Diabetes, 1999, Vol 48, Iss 8, pp 1501-1507.

Some of the molecules and cells in human milk
actively help infants stave off infection
By Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC

Doctors have long known that infants who are breast-fed contract fewer infections than do those who are given formula. Until fairly recently, most physicians presumed that breast-fed children fared better simply because milk supplied directly from the breast is free of bacteria. Formula, which must often be mixed with water and placed in bottles, can become contaminated easily. Yet even infants who receive sterilized formula suffer from more meningitis and infection of the gut, ear, respiratory tract and urinary tract than do breast-fed youngsters. Read More...

We are receiving more and more reports from mothers of a decrease in milk production associated with the Mirena IUD. Today I received two such reports. Given the constant chronological relationship between the placement of the IUD and the mother’s decrease in milk production (1 to 2 weeks), it is quite possible that the decrease in milk production is a result of the IUD.

Of course, it is also likely that not all women will have a significant decrease; nobody contacts me when they don’t have a decreased production. But it is also likely that only a tiny percentage of women who do have a decrease actually contact me.

I think we need to be prudent and warn women about this possible side effect of the Mirena. All hormonal contraceptive methods should be avoided by breastfeeding mothers if possible.

Please forward to all your contacts.

Jack Newman, MD
http://www.drjacknewman.com/