From Lactation to Health: The Benefits of Human Milk Bioactives

Human milk bioactives are components that "affect biological processes or substrates and hence have an impact on body function or condition and ultimately health."5 Examples include lactoferrin, growth factors, hormones, human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), immunoglobulins, and cytokines. Studies show that bioactives can have long-lasting impact on the infant microbiome, growth, development, and immune function.6 Colostrum is rich in immunological factors suchas T cells, lymphocytes, cytokines, HMOs, and secretory lgA (slgA).7