Page 153 - The Miracle of Human Creation

TOWARDS A NEW WORLD

ason, high amounts of fluid and lactose, which are very important, are ab-
sorbed in the first section of the small intestine. Coagulated particles of
mother's milk (unlike those of cow's milk) pass through the small intesti-
ne easily, and lactose and fluid reach the large intestine. In this way, a he-
althy intestinal structure develops. The second advantage of the great
quantity of lactose found in human milk is that it ensures the synthesis of
a material called "cerebroside", which plays an important role in the
construction of the essential structures of the nervous system.
Despite the fact that the fat level in mother's milk and cow's milk is al-
most the same, the quality of those fats is different. The linoleic acid in mot-
her's milk is the only fatty acid required in the nourishment of the baby.
Another factor that distinguishes mother's milk is the amount and
proportion of the salt and minerals it contains. For example, in cow's milk
the amount of calcium and phosphorus is high; but the ratio of calcium to
phosphorus in cow's milk makes it difficult to digest properly. Phospho-
rus can combine with calcium in the digestive tract and actually prevent
the absorption of calcium. Therefore, if a baby is given cow's milk in the
first days of its life, the way can be opened to certain abnormalities due to
a drop of the level of calcium in the blood. 48
Apart from this, human milk is 50% iron. Because cow's milk conta-
ins a much lower proportion of this mineral, babies fed on cow's milk can
develop anaemia linked to iron deficiency.
Richness in vitamins is another factor that makes mother's milk in-
dispensable for the baby. From the point of view of the vitamins they con-
tain, mother's milk and cow's milk are quite different. Despite the fact that
the level of vitamin A is the same, the level of vitamins E, C and K is hig-
her in mother's milk. The amount of vitamin D in mother's milk is suffici-
ent for the baby's needs.

Mother's Milk Protects the Baby at Every Stage
A baby coming into the world from the protected, bacteria-free
womb of its mother must fight against several bacteria in the external

151