Evaluation of the effect of different diets applied to breastfeeding mothers on the composition and quantity of human milk

Sayar C. O., KÖSEOĞLU S. Z. A.

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1038/s41430-025-01588-z
  • Journal Name: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, PASCAL, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, CINAHL, EMBASE, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, Gender Studies Database, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database
  • Bezmialem Vakıf University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between maternal nutrition and the quantity and composition of breast milk. Methods: All mothers were administered sequentially, with each lasting one week, a healthy nutrition diet, a carbohydrate-rich diet, and a protein-rich diet. Results: Compared to the healthy nutrition diet, a statistically significant increase was observed in the levels of glutamic acid, serine, glycine, histidine, tyrosine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, and lysine in milk following the carbohydrate-rich diet (p < 0.05). In contrast to the healthy nutrition diet, the lactose content of milk decreased after the carbohydrate-rich diet and increased after the protein-rich diet (p < 0.05). Following both carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich diets, a reduction in riboflavin content in milk was observed compared to the healthy nutrition diet (p < 0.05). After the protein-rich diet, an increase in milk quantity was observed compared with the carbohydrate-rich diet (G1, p = 0.006; G2, p = 0.001). A negative correlation was found between the mothers' body weight in the third week and the amount of amino acids in their milk (r = -0.270, p = 0.037). Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that the nutrient composition and quantity of human milk are influenced by maternal nutrition.