Saturday, October 31, 2009

Affects of maternal diet on child's immune system

I have a new theory about how a breastfeeding child may come to react (eczema, hives, etc.) to mother's milk, after coming across some new information about how the intestinal lining works. Perhaps your b-levels are low in both you and your LO and it is affecting the intestinal permeability for you both -- allowing partially digested proteins into your milk, and allowing them through your LOs lining to allow her to react.

Leaky gut is a condition where the intestinal lining us damaged and it let's through bacteria and partially digested or undigested nutrients, including proteins.
Dr. Weil - What Is Leaky Gut?
Is Your Digestive System Making You Sick?


B6, and magnesium both help with sulphation, the breakdown of sulfur, sulfites and toxins in the body. B6 also is needed for production of mucin, a protein that helps protect the lining of the intestine. Taking Tylenol can affect sulphation, as it uses up your sulfate stores, which are needed for this process.
Mothering.com Discussion - sulfur sensitivity
Intolerance to Sulphur (diagram and info)
Sulfation

B vitamins are soluble vitamins that will increase in your breastmilk if you take extra.
Vitamins & other supplements for breastfeeding mothers


If you read my post about supplements for extended nursing, I've had delayed ovulation, digestive issues and my little one has eczema (thought to be related to leaky gut and low D3). I recently started taking a b-complex and vitamin D3 to help with my cycle and the I noticed that his eczema started improving.

Perhaps you might see about adding in some extra B vitamins to your regime. It might help both your and her intestines to improve your intestinal lining. Eating foods to aid your liver will help with bile production, and detoxification. (Top 10 Nutrients for your Liver, Kidney and Gallbladder) and probiotics can help support good flora in the gut which should aid in digestion -- though again, I've seen a big change with just the extra Bs.

A lot of what I've read about anti- inflammatory diets have talked about paleolithic diets. If we ate more traditional diets we would probably be consuming more organ meats, like liver, which are rich in Bs. This might explain why someone eating a Western diet might not be taking in enough B for breastfeeding demands over time.

1 comment:

Nikole said...

Your last three posts have really gotten me thinking. I am looking forward to a little more time to read up on some of your links this weekend. Thank you!