Antioxidant activity of breast milk and commercial milks and formulas

Abstract

Breast milk is generally considered the best nutrition option for children of less than one year of age. In the first months of life, breast feeding is the source of essential nutrients but also of immunitary defense factors that cannot be found in formula-milk. The nutrition of the mother plays a fundamental role in its state of health and consequently in the quality of its breast milk. The determination of the antioxidant activity of breast milk allows a global characterization of its value not only as a nutrient but also as a functional food with relevance in the minimization of the oxidative stress of the newborn. These studies can contribute to the definition of appropriate diets for the breast-feeding period and for the selection of appropriate milks to be used with premature infants.