The benefits of breastfeeding are well known but recent research has provided further information on how mother's milk can promote healthy newborns. This comes in the form of the discovery of an ingredient in breast milk which protects and repairs any damage to the digestive tract of newborns. This function is very important as a baby's intestines are extremely delicate. They have not yet been introduced to food and drink; therefore it doesn't take much to injure them and precautions are paramount.

Substance In Breast Milk Protects Intestines

This special protective ingredient in breast milk is pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor, or PSTI. As the name suggests, it is typically found in the pancreas. The function of the pancreas is to produce powerful enzymes for use in digestion. In the process, the pancreas itself needs protection against these enzymes and this is the function of PSTI. It therefore makes sense that the inhibitor can also be used in the digestive system to prevent unnecessary harm and to keep it healthy. The research into PSTI and breast milk was led by Professor Ray Playford of Barts and the London School of...