Followers

Welcome

Powered by Blogger.

About

Trying to provide all necessary information about IMMUNITY and IMMUNE SYSTEM

Immune benefits of Breast Milk,Immune system,Immunity.

Posted by Mumtaz khan Wednesday 15 February 2012

Immune benefits of breat milk:

Antibodies of secretory IgA:- Bind to microbes in baby's digestive tract and thereby prevent their attachment to the walls of the gut and their subsequent passage into body's tissues.

B-12 binding factor:- Reduces amount of vitamin B-12,which bacteria need in order to grow.

Bifidus factor:- Promotes growth of Lactobacillus bifidus,,a harmless bacterium,in baby's gut.Growth of such nonpathogenic bacteria helps to crowd out dangerous varieties.

Fatty acids:- Disrupt membranes surrounding certain viruses and destroy them.

Fibronectin:- Increase antimicrobial activity of macrophages;helps to repair tissues that have been damaged by immune reactions in baby's gut.

Hormones and growth factors:- Stimulate baby's digestive tract to mature more quickly.Once the initially "leaky" membranes lining the gut mature,infants become less vulnerable to microorganisms.

Interferon:- Enhances antimicrobial activity of immune cells.

Lactoferrin:- Binds to iron,a mineral many bacteria need to survive.By reducing the available amount of iron,lactoferrin thwarts growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Lysozyme:- Kills bacteria by disrupting their cell walls.

Mucins:- Adhere to bacteria and viruses,thus keeping such microorganisms from attaching to mucosal surfaces.


Oligosaccharides:- Bind to microorganisms and bar them from attaching to mucosal surfaces.

SOURCE:Adapted from J.Newman,1995,How breast milk protects newborns,Sci.Am.273(6):76.

0 comments

Post a Comment

About Me