Breast milk could be substitute for antibiotics, research suggests

How breastfeeding can beat superbugs: Bacteria-killing milk could be substitute for antibiotics, research suggests

• Breast milk sugars kill off bacterial infections in human tissues in labratory study
• Findings add to evidence of the importance of breast milk in protecting babies
• The sugars could be used instead of antibiotics in the fight against superbugs 

Sugars in breast milk kill bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, scientists found.

Their research suggests that breastfeeding can help protect against drug-resistant superbugs.

They said the sugars could be used instead of antibiotics in the fight against antimicrobial resistance – which is when bacteria and other microbes change and stop responding to drugs.

The researchers isolated the sugars, called human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), from the milk of several mothers before testing it on human cells infected with group B Streptococcus (GBS).

GBS is a common type of bacteria that can cause blood poisoning, meningitis and stillbirth – and is increasingly resistant to drugs.

Scientists said the sugars could be used instead of antibiotics in the fight against antimicrobial resistance – which is when bacteria and other microbes change and stop responding to drugs

The research, presented at the American Chemical Society conference, found the breast milk sugars were able to kill off bacterial infections in human tissues in the laboratory.

The sugars were also tested on pregnant mice – and were found to stop the spread of infection. 

The findings add to evidence of the importance of breast milk in protecting babies from infection and sickness, and also suggest breast milk could be used to develop drugs.

The findings add to evidence of the importance of breast milk in protecting babies from infection and sickness, and also suggest breast milk could be used to develop drugs

Lead author Rebecca Moore, a graduate student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, said: ‘In five different parts of the reproductive tract [in mice], we saw significantly decreased infection with HMO treatment.’

The researchers believe the sugars in breast milk can help prevent bacteria from ‘sticking’ to tissue surfaces. 

The sugars also act as a prebiotic by supporting the growth of good bacteria that can fight off bad bacteria. The US team now plans to identify the most useful sugars in breast milk – there are more than 200 types.

Co-author Professor Steven Townsend said: ‘HMOs have been around as long as humans have, and bacteria have not figured them out.

‘Presumably, that is because there are so many in milk, and they are constantly changing during a baby’s development.

‘But if we could learn more about how they work, it is possible we could treat different types of infections with mixtures of HMOs, and maybe one day this could be a substitute for antibiotics in adults, as well as babies.’

In recent years, celebrities including Jennifer Aniston and Kim Kardashian have shared stories of drinking breast milk.

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