Why no baby refuses breast milk? Why, on the contrary, the vivifying liquid generates addiction? Throughout human history these questions have persisted.
around the sublime act of breastfeeding.
“Because nature is wise” had been, until then, the answer to the mystery. If it were not for breast milk, a baby would die of hunger or an infection, since the “vital liquid” is the first immunization that the human being receives. Through milk, the body, like a perfect machine, transmits antibodies.
“Studies have shown that children who are breastfed have a lower risk of suffering from infectious diseases, allergies or anemia, that is, better physical and mental development,” says the doctor, a neonatologist at the Medical Center.
A study by the Hebrew University in Jerusalem deciphered the mystery of “wise nature” by finding that breast milk had among its many components small particles or
substances called cannabinoids, the same that contains cannabis sativa, better known as marijuana.
According to the research, published in the New Scientist magazine, cannabinoids have the characteristic of producing a special addiction, as well as a feeling of placidity. The study carried out in mice confirmed that cannabinoids fulfill the noble mission of motivating newborn feeding. Role that is essential for the conservation of the human race.
“It is the same substance that marijuana contains, which in the case of breast milk, activates the endocannabinoid system and what it does is stimulate a series of receptors in the brain and stimulate the baby’s appetite,” says Dr. Gómez.
What makes nature “wise”, according to the study, is that the presence of cannabinoids in breast milk is minimal, the proportion necessary to generate a healthy addiction in the baby and the preservation of the species.
“All the components, including the cannabinoids, are in the right proportion to make breast milk the vital food, the most complete, the best, at a crucial moment in life”, says Dr. Gómez.
For the specialist, in her breasts, the woman makes her baby move healthily in the first months and strengthens the nervous, gastrointestinal and vascular systems throughout her life, in addition to fostering a deep bond between the two and stimulating the safety of the child.
Cannabinoids are substances that act on brain receptors located in the periphery and in the central endocrine system. They are produced or secreted naturally by the body and although it was known about their properties to stimulate appetite, what was unknown is that they were similar to those of marijuana and that their maximum levels in breast milk corresponded to the day after delivery. .
For the study, the researchers injected newborn mice with a chemical compound that blocked those neuronal receptors on which cannabinoids normally act. From then on, none of the mice fed on their mother. Within a week, most had died, and the survivors exhibited complex developmental delays.
In a second experiment, the researchers worked with the survivors. They were given the main cannabinoid in cannabis (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) in a dose sufficient to reverse the blockade of cannabinoid receptors in the brain. The mice immediately began to feed on their mothers.
Medicinally, at present, the cannabinoids that are extracted and synthesized from the marijuana plant are used throughout the world to stimulate the appetite of HIV patients and to prevent
nausea caused by chemotherapy.
For Dr. Gómez, breastfeeding is the perfect diet and therefore should not be interrupted if the mother catches a cold, flu or liver disease, since the antibodies to deal with these pathologies appear in the milk. “In these cases, the important thing is that the mother washes her hands well before coming into contact with the child,” emphasizes the neonatologist at the
Medical Center.
Breastfeeding should be avoided if you have contracted the HIV virus or if you have a metabolic disease. Consultation with an obstetrician is recommended before taking any medication, other than commonly used antibiotics or analgesics.
OTHER BENEFITS
The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding up to two years of life and specialists advise exclusively breastfeeding until the first six months. And it is that human milk contains all the vitamins, proteins, sugars, minerals, hormones, enzymes and fats in the ideal concentration and is considered the first immunization that a human being receives, because antibodies are transmitted through it.
Studies show that children who are breastfed have a much lower risk of infectious diseases, allergies or anemia. Breast milk protects better from sudden death, diabetes, meningitis, lymphoma and leukemia. In addition, it allows a greater development of the central nervous system and the intellectual coefficient.
The benefits are not just for the newborn. In the mother, the risks of gynecological cancers and osteoporosis decrease. During this period, two hormones are also secreted, prolactin and oxytocin, which produce well-being in the woman and make her feel in greater contact with her child.
Encouraging breastfeeding is also an economic benefit for the family, since in her breasts the mother stores healthy food, free of charge and available 24 hours a day. Breastfeeding also benefits
Mother. These women regain their weight quickly, are less likely to have uterine bleeding, and have a lower incidence of premenopausal breast cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Similarly, breastfeeding prevents osteoporosis in old age and helps as a method of contraception. They also relieve your stress as it increases the production of oxytocin, known as the hormone of love and happiness.
- Breast milk contains antibodies that strengthen the baby’s immune system.
- The attachment of the infant to the chest allows a better development of the oral structures, causing fewer orthodontic problems.
- Reduces the probability of suffering from respiratory, urinary and gastrointestinal tract infections.
- Increases the intellectual capacity and school performance of the infant.
- The breastfed child is less likely to develop leukemia, certain types of lymphoma, and breast cancer.
- Decreases the incidence of allergies such as atopic dermatitis.
- It prevents the baby from diarrhea and creates a healthy intestinal flora.
- It is easier to digest than formula, causing less colic and gastrointestinal problems.
- Reduces the risk of obesity, as well as type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
- Significantly reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.