I posted this in a different thread a while ago.
I think this information from the WAP site is quite telling. It seems the Nigerian mothers who do not consume omega-3 have the highest percentage of antimicrobial fatty acids.
http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topi ... uman-milk/
The elongated omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils are also found in the milk of healthy, properly fed mothers, and especially mothers who consume fish and/or fish oils.
Some mothers can make these elongated omega-3 fatty acids from the shorter omega-3 fatty acids. When there is none of the shorter omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid 18:3) in the mother’s diet, as has been recorded in some Nigerian mothers, the amounts of lauric acid and capric acid are very high, making up close to a third of the total fatty acids. This appears to be nature’s way of helping to protect the infant from infections and also helping to conserve the important elongated omega-3 fatty acids. There have been animal studies showing that there were adequate elongated omega-3 fatty acids in the tissues even when no omega-3 was present in the diet as long as the fat that was in the diet was coconut oil. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid.
The average amount of antimicrobial fatty acids, particularly lauric acid and capric acid, found in the milk of lactating mothers around the world is not usually as high as that reported in Nigeria, but amounts as low as 2 percent and as high as 20 percent have been reported. French mothers average 6 percent with ranges of 2-12 percent. Japanese mothers are reported to produce up to 9 percent lauric and capric acids. Studies in the US showed that diabetic mothers have very low levels, around 2 percent, but mothers with cystic fibrosis have about 8 percent. Adding coconut oil to the diet of lactating mothers raised the levels of lauric and capric acid to about 20 percent.
I think this information from the WAP site is quite telling. It seems the Nigerian mothers who do not consume omega-3 have the highest percentage of antimicrobial fatty acids.
http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topi ... uman-milk/
The elongated omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils are also found in the milk of healthy, properly fed mothers, and especially mothers who consume fish and/or fish oils.
Some mothers can make these elongated omega-3 fatty acids from the shorter omega-3 fatty acids. When there is none of the shorter omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid 18:3) in the mother’s diet, as has been recorded in some Nigerian mothers, the amounts of lauric acid and capric acid are very high, making up close to a third of the total fatty acids. This appears to be nature’s way of helping to protect the infant from infections and also helping to conserve the important elongated omega-3 fatty acids. There have been animal studies showing that there were adequate elongated omega-3 fatty acids in the tissues even when no omega-3 was present in the diet as long as the fat that was in the diet was coconut oil. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid.
The average amount of antimicrobial fatty acids, particularly lauric acid and capric acid, found in the milk of lactating mothers around the world is not usually as high as that reported in Nigeria, but amounts as low as 2 percent and as high as 20 percent have been reported. French mothers average 6 percent with ranges of 2-12 percent. Japanese mothers are reported to produce up to 9 percent lauric and capric acids. Studies in the US showed that diabetic mothers have very low levels, around 2 percent, but mothers with cystic fibrosis have about 8 percent. Adding coconut oil to the diet of lactating mothers raised the levels of lauric and capric acid to about 20 percent.
