Breast milk is completely pure or contains very little lead, even when the mother is exposed to high levels of this toxin. Moreover, ensuring sufficient daily calcium intake can “purify” lead in breast milk.
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Breast milk is the perfect food for babies |
“Even in mothers with relatively high lead exposure, the concentration of this toxin in breast milk is still very low,” affirmed Dr. Adrienne S. Ettinger from Harvard University (USA) – “This further ensures that breast milk is the best source of nutrition for young children.”
Ettinger and colleagues analyzed lead accumulation in the maternal body, the milk secretion process, and calcium supplementation in nearly 400 individuals in Mexico City. The results showed that the average lead concentration in breast milk at 1, 4, and 7 months postpartum was 1.4 – 1.2 – 0.9 mcg/liter, respectively. These figures indicate a significant decreasing trend of lead toxin during the milk secretion process.
Additionally, the breastfeeding process also regulates the correlation between lead levels in bones and breast milk. Those with high lead levels in knee bones who do not breastfeed will secrete the most lead into their milk.
Calcium absorption also affects lead levels in breast milk. Therefore, breastfeeding individuals who supplement with 1,200 mg of calcium daily will have significantly lower lead levels in their milk after 7 months postpartum compared to those who are calcium deficient.
Mỹ Linh (according to Reuters)
