Things to Know about Breast Milk and Cow’s Milk
No other form of nourishment meets the needs of an infant as efficiently as
breast milk. In fact, recent studies show that other forms of nourishment-such
as cow's milk formula-may impede normal brain functioning and development.
Human infants are unique in the animal kingdom in that so much of their early
nourishment is used for the development and growth of the brain. The human
brain is about 23 percent of its adult size at birth, while the brain of a calf is
nearly 100 percent developed at birth. A calf gains up to 75 percent of its adult
weight during the first six weeks, and needs plenty of protein and minerals for
the growth of muscle and bones. Human infants, on the average, gain less
than a pound per week during their first six weeks. Their need for protein and
minerals is much less than that of a calf, but their need for carbohydrates-
which are used in the formation of healthy nerve and brain cells-is much
greater. Cow's milk is naturally better suited to the rapid growth and
development of the calf’s massive bone and body structure; it contains up to
three times as much protein and four times as much calcium as human milk.
However, cow's milk is not the ideal food for brain development. Human milk,
with up to twice as many carbohydrates, is far better suited to the growth and
development of the human brain and nervous system.
Since cow's milk is lacking in carbohydrates, some type of sugar¬ usually in the
form of cane sugar, brown sugar, or corn syrup-is generally added to cow's
milk formulas to provide enough calories. However, simple sugars such as
these destroy B-complex vitamins, including thiamine, or vitamin Bl, which is
naturally present in the outer layers of brown rice and other whole cereal
grains. Thiamine and other B vitamins are essential for healthy development
and functioning of the nervous system, including the capacity for learning. If
enough of these vitamins are destroyed, a child can develop difficulty in
digesting carbohydrates, and an excess of pyruvic acid can accumulate in the
blood, resulting in an oxygen deficiency. Lack of oxygen can easily impair the
functioning and development of the brain, which depends on oxygen and
glucose for energy.
The intake of refined and other simple sugars disrupts the body's normal
levels of blood glucose. The more sugar one consumes, the lower the blood
sugar level tends to be. The brain uses about 50 percent of the glucose in the
blood, and when the blood glucose level is disrupted, the functioning of the
brain is affected. Sugar also contributes to a depletion of the body's mineral
reserves, some of which, including zinc, iron, and magnesium, are essential in
glucose metabolism. Depletion of minerals contributes to reduction in the
chemical energy needed by the brain. Whenever the energy available to the
brain is reduced, the area that receives priority is the limbic system, the part of
the brain that controls the automatic processes necessary to maintain life. The
brain centers that control the higher levels of consciousness ¬including
intellectual capacities and social adjustment-are the first to be denied
sufficient energy.
The development and functioning of the brain and nervous system are closely
related to the condition of the intestines and digestive tract, through which all
nutrients are absorbed. The intake of cow's milk formula disrupts the normal
functioning of the digestive tract and is associated with ulcerative colitis,
diarrheal infections, colic, and other digestive disturbances. Digestive upsets
frequently produce behavioral disturbances. Problems such as periodic irritable
crying, crankiness, crying during bowel movements, and, in some cases,
convulsions, have been noted in children suffering digestive reactions to cow's
milk formulas.
Breast milk promotes a healthy acid medium in the intestines that encourages
the development of beneficial bacteria, some of which synthesize B-complex
vitamins. Cow's milk furthers the development of an alkaline medium in which
harmful, putrefactive bacteria more easily flourish. It also lacks the compounds
found in breast milk that make the intestinal tract resistant to harmful
bacteria. Harmful bacteria interfere with the activities of the beneficial bacteria,
including the synthesis of the B-complex vitamins necessary for normal brain
functioning.