Chapter three - Bioactive components of human milk

Abstract

Bioactive components of milk are distinguished from the macro and micronutrients in which they are not utilized directly for nutritional purposes. Macronutrients are the nutritive components of food that the body needs for energy and maintenance of body's structure and systems. Micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals are vital to healthy development, disease prevention, and well-being. Most micronutrients are not produced in the body and must be derived from the diet. Human milk also contains many hundreds to thousands of distinct bioactive molecules that are adapted for specialized needs of the infant such as immunoprotection and immunomodulation, metabolic homeostasis, digestion, and regulatory activities. Bioactive factors are unique to human milk, which is a very complex highly dynamic matrix that is very challenging to be duplicated by infant formula. This array of “bioactive factors” confers protection from infection by various microorganisms, hormones, and growth factors. These factors are usually not found in commercial formulas unless specifically added.