Fit & Proper: 1st 1,000 days are crucial for boosting immunity, says expert

Most of us know that a balanced diet, exercise and adequate sleep can help us lead a healthy life. But, what isn’t common knowledge is that the foundation of a healthy life is laid during the first 1,000 days of life — a period encompassing nine months of pregnancy and first two years of life. It is, therefore, prudent for women to breast feed their infants, ensure that right foods are consumed while they are pregnant and lactating, and that appropriate food is given to the infant to fortify the baby’s immunity .

The gut (or intestines) is important to develop the immunity of an infant. While the gut is usually associated with digestion, absorption of food and elimination of waste,  the presence of a bulk of immune cells in the  human gut makes it one of the largest immune organs. The infant gut acquires many beneficial bacteria during the natural birthing process, which helps regulate their immune responses. .

Infants are born with immature immune systems due to limited exposure to antigens in the womb. But the consumption of breastmilk after birth can be a source of complete source of nutrition and immunity booster for the baby.

Breast milk contains components that can modify the immune system of an infant, both actively and passively. One such component is oligosaccharides. After carbohydrates (lactose) and fats, oligosaccharides comprise the third largest component of breast milk. The concentration of oligosaccharides in breast milk exceeds that of even proteins, thereby drawing attention of scientists across the world. The average concentration of oligosaccharides in breast milk is about 10-12g/l. It is speculated that there are over 1,000 oligosaccharides present in breast milk, of which only 200 have been identified to date. These oligosaccharides are “prebiotic” in nature.

Prebiotics are non-digestible substances, which act as food for the probiotics (the beneficial bacteria) and promote their growth in the intestine. The increase in the count of good bacteria discourages the growth of pathogens (disease causing micro-organisms) with a host of other benefits, thus strengthening the immune system of the baby. Among the commercially available prebiotic oligosaccharides, the most studied prebiotic is the combination of Galacto-oligosaccharides and Fructo-oligosaccharides (GOS & FOS) in the ratio of 9:1. The combination of scGOS/lcFOS (9:1) mimics the size and function of oligosaccharides present in human milk due to their high galactose content, varying chain length and molecular weight distribution.

Many studies published in reputed international journals have revealed that the combination of GOS & FOS in the ratio of 9:1 helps to increase the number of beneficial organisms especially bifidobacterial and lactobacilli in the baby’s gut, reduces the incidence of respiratory infections like cough, cold and fever and also reduces the occurrence of diarrhoea and constipation in babies.

A diet enriched with prebiotics helps to build the immunity of children especially infants. Mother’s milk naturally is the best source of prebiotics for infants but if a mother is unable to breastfeed her child, an infant formula with prebiotics is the second-best choice which should always be done in consultation with the pediatrician.