Lactoferrin
As a celebration of lactation and part of World Breastfeeding Week, I am doing a series about the ingredients in human milk. Social media posts are great, but I can expand way more on my blog!
So here it goes with my first ingredient of choice: lactoferrin.
What is it?
Lactoferrin is a protein found in human milk. Lactoferrin levels are species and timing dependent. Human colostrum has about 7g of lactoferrin per liter. Mature milk has about 1g/L. It makes up 15-20% of the total proteins in human milk. Cow colostrum, on the other hand, contains much less, about 1.5g/L and 0.5g/L in mature milk.
Why is it good for human babies?
Lactoferrin protects babies from viruses, bacteria, cancers, and inflammation. It also helps iron be absorbed into the body.
How does it work?
Lactoferrin works in a variety of ways. It binds to iron molecules so iron can be absorbed by the gut rather than by bacteria. Bacteria use iron as food to help them grow.
It can also sit in receptor sites of certain viruses in order to prevent them from attaching to the gut, thus protecting our babies from disease! Another way it fights pathogens (bad bugs) is by creating holes in their cells walls making them ineffective.
IS IT AVAILABLE from sources other than human milk?
Yes. It is available in a few ways.
Many species of mammal milk contains lactoferrin in varying quantities, depending on the needs of the species. So, drinking another mammals milk would likely get you some lactoferrin. The question is, how much do we need, is there enough available in ____(insert animal of choice) milk, and how well can humans absorb lactoferrin from another species?
Pills for adults. You can buy lactoferrin pills for adults. What is a recommended dose or formulation? Check with your healthcare provider to see if a supplement of lactoferrin would be beneficial for you (an adult). Always check with your healthcare provider before taking new medications or supplements as they may negatively interact with your health.
Some infant formulas contain added lactoferrin. The problem is, it is not known how well added lactoferrin is used up by humans (how bioavailable it is). So even though it is touted as a special “just like breast milk” additive, there is no research to support that adding lactoferrin to infant formulas has health benefits. Additionally, the main (richest) companies who are researching this are formula companies so their data contains a major financial bias.
Drops for babies. This does exist but, to my knowledge, is not a common supplement for babies. Always ask your baby’s healthcare provider before giving them any supplements!
What if Babies don’t get enough lactoferrin?
Since lactoferrin helps transport iron into the blood, anemia could be a side effect of low lactoferrin levels. However, if your iron levels are low, an iron supplement is usually recommended rather than lactoferrin. A functional medicine practitioner would be someone to talk to more about this.
Lactoferrin’s ability to help prevent infections means it’s absence would allow more bacterial and viral infections to affect our bodies. This may be one reason that formula fed babies are more likely to get sick than babies fed human milk.
I hope you enjoyed nerding on lactoferrin!
Resources: