This episode aims to be the most comprehensive video compendium on the biology of breast milk ever recorded. Looking at the converging clinical and animal evidence of the impact of breast milk paints a complex and beautiful mosaic of developmentally supportive effects that range from allowing the mother to act as a “compensatory” immune system to possibly supporting the development of entire organ systems through the integration of maternal stem cells found in breast milk. Short attention span? Skip to your favorite topic by clicking one of the time points below. Episode highlights: 3:02 - Breast milk composition and production 5:50 - Human milk oligosaccharides in breast milk establish the infant gut microbiome 11:39 - Omega-3 fatty acids and other components in breast milk boost brain development 14:05 - Vitamins and minerals in breast milk 17:56 - Breast milk stem cells and multi-organ microchimerism 18:45 - Harmful substances transferred to infant via breast milk 23:54 - The effects of breastfeeding on the infant's immune system 27:08 - Effects on intelligence 30:27 - Breastfeeding as a benefit to maternal health Chapters 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:01 - Breastmilk composition 00:05:50 - HMOs (human milk oligosaccharides) 00:10:33 - Fats 00:12:21 - Omega-3 fatty acids 00:14:05 - Vitamins and minerals 00:14:29 - Vitamin K 00:14:49 - Iron 00:15:34 - Vitamin D 00:15:59 - Smoking 00:17:20 - Probiotics 00:17:55 - Stem cells 00:18:45 - Toxins 00:19:22 - Drugs 00:19:59 - Alcohol 00:20:48 - Nicotine 00:22:10 - Caffeine 00:22:52 - Cannabis 00:23:54 - Immunity 00:26:07 - Gut health 00:27:07 - Intellect 00:29:01 - Cardiovascular health 00:30:28 - Cancer 00:30:50 - Postpartum weight loss 00:31:08 - How long to breastfeed? 00:32:22 - Overview ▶︎ Get the episode's show notes https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/breast-milk ▶︎ View the in-depth FoundMyFitness breast milk topic page: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/breastfeeding ▶︎ See the full interview with Drs. Erica and Justin Sonnenburg https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/the-sonnenburgs ▶︎ Did you enjoy this episode? If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, check out a preview of our very first Aliquot episode: Aliquot # 001: Pregnancy & Child Development. It features a compilation of pregnancy and child development-related topics taken from several Q&A episodes over the last couple of years. https://www.foundmyfitness.com/aliquot?utm_campaign=breast-milk&utm_source=episode&utm_medium=youtube #Breastmilk #Braindevelopment #HMOs