Mixed
Human milk consumption in infancy is associated with lower risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood, mediated by improved glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism, and gut microbiota modulation.
Breastfeeding offers long-term metabolic advantages, including lower risks of obesity and diabetes, likely due to unique components like oligosaccharides that shape gut health and energy regulation. If breastfeeding is not possible, focus on high-quality nutrition for the infant, as the metabolic programming benefits are significant but not exclusive to breast milk.
Several studies have associated HM intake to reducing the risk of developing a variety of diseases, including noncommunicable diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) later in life... The ability of HM to control glucose homeostasis and decreased insulin resistance has been demonstrated in animal model fed with HM supplementation... Several studies have reported that the fat percentage energy in HM is inversely associated weight gain and adiposity during infancy
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing observational studies and animal models; it explicitly notes that randomized clinical trials are ethically difficult for long-term human outcomes.
Source
Invited review: Human, cow, and donkey milk comparison: Focus on metabolic effects
Fabiano Cimmino et al. · Journal of Dairy Science · 2023
DOI 10.3168/jds.2022-22465
More from this paper
- Cow milk consumption is associated with lower risk of mortality and major cardiovascular disease events, and can improve insulin resistance, particularly when derived from pasture-fed cows with higher CLA and n-3 PUFA content.Good
- Donkey milk consumption improves antioxidant defenses, reduces inflammation, and enhances mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle and liver, offering a hypoallergenic alternative to cow milk.Moderate
Related findings · Mixed
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- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
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