6533b825fe1ef96bd1281e02

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Diet supplementation during early lactation with non-alcoholic beer increases the antioxidant properties of breastmilk and decreases the oxidative damage in breastfeeding mothers.

subject

description

After delivery and birth, mothers and neonates are exposed to oxidative stress. We tested whether supplementing the diet of breastfeeding mothers with non-alcoholic beer, a product rich in antioxidants, could improve their oxidative status and the antioxidant content of their milk. A prospective trial begun on Day 2 postpartum was conducted in mother-infant dyads.Sixty breastfeeding mothers and their infants were allocated to either a control group (n=30) on a free diet or a study group (n=30) on a free diet supplemented with 660 mL of non-alcoholic beer/day. The oxidative status of the mothers' breastmilk, plasma, and urine and the infant's urine was analyzed on Days 2 and 30 postpartum. The before-after difference was compared within and between the groups.The increase in antioxidant capacity and coenzyme Q10 content in the breastmilk of the study group at Day 30 was higher than in that of the control group (p0.001). There was also a change in the oxidative status of the mothers' plasma in the supplemented group regarding the control group; higher values of total antioxidant capacity (p0.05) and lower levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (p0.05), indicative of DNA oxidative damage, were found. These results indicate a positive effect of non-alcoholic beer supplementation on oxidative stress in mothers. However, no difference in oxidant markers was found in the infant's urine.The consumption of non-alcoholic beer appears to enhance the antioxidant capacity of breastmilk and decrease oxidative damage in breastfeeding mothers.