Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Human Milk

Human milk is the secretion of the human mammary gland that provides complete nutrition for the infant during early life. It is a complex, living fluid in which carbohydrates, predominantly lactose and a diverse array of human milk oligosaccharides, coexist with proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and a wide range…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 12 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 70× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2644-0105

Overview

Human milk is the secretion of the human mammary gland that provides complete nutrition for the infant during early life. It is a complex, living fluid in which carbohydrates, predominantly lactose and a diverse array of human milk oligosaccharides, coexist with proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and a wide range of bioactive molecules including antibodies, enzymes, hormones, and immune cells. Its composition is not fixed but adapts across the stages of lactation and is influenced by maternal diet, physiology, and health. Scholarly attention to human milk addresses both its intrinsic makeup and the systems that preserve and deliver it. Studies of breast milk composition and maternal awareness examine how women understand the value of their milk, while work on expression and on storage container materials evaluates how handling affects macronutrient integrity. The activity of human milk banks, including the disruptions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, illustrates the infrastructure that supplies donor milk to vulnerable infants. Further investigation considers exclusive breastfeeding beliefs and practices, the presence of bioactive and potentially harmful constituents, and emerging interest in milk-derived microRNA, locating human milk at the intersection of nutrition science, immunology, and infant health.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

2024

Toward A Diet Based on MicroRNA

Raúl IseaCorresponding author
Exact topic International Journal of Nutrition doi:10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-24-5111
2015

Epigenetics and Nutrition

Kenneth LundstromCorresponding author
International Journal of Nutrition Cited by 2 doi:10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-14-603

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 70 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Nov 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Human Milk, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Journal of Breastfeeding Biology (ISSN 2644-0105).

Journal editorial board
Ann Anderson Berry · United States Gail Christopher · United States

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.