This article speaks to the geek in me! It specifically names different components in breast milk and how it boosts immunity. Fascinating stuff! "While each antibody is specifically designed to target one particular pathogen, the major milk protein lactoferrin acts more broadly. It can directly kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and it also has an anti-inflammatory effect, which helps reduce the pain, swelling, and high temperature associated with infection. Because lactoferrin is quite resistant to digestion, it passes into the urine relatively unchanged and so helps prevent urinary tract infections. Lactoferrin also helps to encourage the growth of friendly bacteria in the infant's gut. Human milk contains particularly high levels of lactoferrin and, significantly, human lactoferrin is distinct from that found in the milk of other species."
My favorite part is were it describes how the thymus in breast feed infants is twice the size of formula feed. Yikes! Breast milk provides so much more then just antibodies.
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