Scientists from the Complutense University of Madrid compared the composition of breast milk of omnivores and vegetarians: the latter lacked docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), but in many respects the composition of milk was even better than that of omnivores. The research was published in the journal nutrients.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding after the introduction of complementary foods for at least two years. In cases where breast milk is not available, donor milk can be used for preterm babies. However, sometimes vegetarians are not allowed to donate milk, and data on the composition of their milk are limited.
The study included 92 omnivorous women and 20 vegetarians. They took blood, urine, and milk samples. Participants also completed nutritional questionnaires and socio-demographic and health questionnaires.
The results of the study showed that the breast milk of vegetarians had significantly lower DHA content. However, increased nutritional awareness and appropriately dosed supplements can fill this gap by making milk donation affordable for these women. Additionally, vegetarians and vegans are advised to increase their consumption of foods rich in linolenic acid: flaxseed oil and chia seeds.
Vegetarians ate less fat, 33% less saturated fat, and significantly less trans fat and cholesterol. Thus, vegetarians’ milk contained more beneficial unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, the content of vitamin B12 was higher in the milk of vegetarians: this is due to the fact that many consume supplements with this vitamin.