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Immunological Benefits of Milk

Milk contains many components that provide immune protection for offspring and help develop neonatal immune competence by protecting the mammary gland from pathogens. Breast milk facilitates the establishment of gut flora that inhibits pathogens while stimulating beneficial microorganisms. Maternal immunity transfers antibodies and leukocytes like T lymphocytes to the infant, passively providing protection against pathogens the mother was exposed to. Components in milk like cytokines may provide infants with a prepackaged immune response system while anti-inflammatory factors help modulate cytokine responses during infection. The various immune and immunomodulating components in milk undoubtedly interact synergistically to protect both the mammary gland and offspring from pathogens.

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5 views1 page

Immunological Benefits of Milk

Milk contains many components that provide immune protection for offspring and help develop neonatal immune competence by protecting the mammary gland from pathogens. Breast milk facilitates the establishment of gut flora that inhibits pathogens while stimulating beneficial microorganisms. Maternal immunity transfers antibodies and leukocytes like T lymphocytes to the infant, passively providing protection against pathogens the mother was exposed to. Components in milk like cytokines may provide infants with a prepackaged immune response system while anti-inflammatory factors help modulate cytokine responses during infection. The various immune and immunomodulating components in milk undoubtedly interact synergistically to protect both the mammary gland and offspring from pathogens.

Uploaded by

Alexandra Maria
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Immunological activities associated with

milk.
Kelleher SL1, Lönnerdal B.

Author information

1
Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California, USA.

Abstract

Milk contains a multitude of components that can, or may, provide immune protection to the
suckling offspring and that also may promote development of neonatal immune competence. In
addition, these specialized factors are essential for the protection of the mammary gland, the
offspring's food source, from pathogen colonization and lactation failure. Breast milk also
facilitates the establishment of a gut flora that inhibits colonization by many pathogens and
stimulates the growth of beneficial microorganisms. Maternal immunity can be transferred to the
infant via antibodies, primarily of the sIgA type in humans, as well as by leukocytes including
effector and memory T lymphocytes. In this way, protection is provided passively against the
pathogens to which the mother has been exposed. Currently, there is much interest in
determining the protective efficacy of oral supplementation with immunoglobulins from the milk
of lactating animals hyperimmunized against specific pathogens. An array of immunostimulatory
components in milk, notably cytokines, may be protected against intestinal proteolysis, thereby
providing the offspring with a prepackaged immune response system. These components may
help to boost the infant's immature immune system. At the same time, anti-inflammatory factors
in breast milk help to modulate cytokine responses to infection, thereby facilitating defense while
minimizing tissue damage such as that which occurs in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis.
Undoubtedly, the many components constituting the repertoire of immune and
immunomodulating agents in milk interact synergistically to protect both the mammary gland
and the offspring from invading pathogenic microorganisms.

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