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IMAGE: Elvira Isganaitis, MD, is a staff physician at Joslin Diabetes Center and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School view more
Credit: Joslin Communications
BOSTON - (December 02, 2020) - A lipid metabolite called 12,13-diHOME is in human breast milk and appears to be associated with beneficial infant weight gain and body composition in the early postnatal period. Moreover, maternal fitness, specifically exercise, appears to boost levels of the metabolite in breast milk and so might benefit their offspring. This finding was published online by The
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
The authors of the study propose that 12,13-diHOME, as well as linked pathway metabolites from breast milk, have a protective effect against obesity development in offspring. They also suggest that a single bout of maternal exercise may boost levels of the metabolite in breast milk and that may translate into benefits for offspring in terms