Human Breast Milk VS Cow Milk
What is the Difference Between Human Breast Milk and Cow Milk?
Breast milk is superior to cow’s milk for the below reasons:
- Proteins in a mother’s milk are easily digested and utilized for growth; whereas much of the cow’s milk protein is excreted by the infant undigested due to the large proportion of caseinogens.
- Mother’s milk is especially rich in fats, which are easier for the baby to digest and absorb than are those of cow’s milk. In mother’s milk, the levels of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid are higher than in cow’s milk.
- Calcium is a mother’s milk that is much better absorbed; but with cow’s milk, unabsorbed fatty acids tend to bind with calcium and prevent it from being absorbed.
- Mother’s milk contains twice as much iron as cow’s milk. This iron is essential for the newborn and meets the need of the baby up to 3 months. Anemia is commonly seen in babies fed on cow’s milk even before three months.
- Mother’s milk contains more lactose than cow’s milk. It may be especially useful for the growing brain.
- Mother’s milk contains more vitamins A, C, and D than in cow’s milk.
- Mother’s milk is richer in copper, selenium, and cobalt than cow’s milk.
- Mother’s milk contains less sodium than cow’s milk and does not put any unnecessary strain on the infant’s kidneys.
Fig: Human breast milk vs cow milk
Why Breast Milk is Ideal Food for Baby?
Human breast milk is the ideal food for the baby due to the below reasons:
- Breast milk contains a highly nutritive value,
- Easily digest able,
- Contains protective values like IgA, IgM, macrophages, Lysozyme, etc.
- Easily available in our country,
- Easily preparable.
Comparison Between Human Breast Milk and Cow Milk:
SL No. | Composition | Human Breast Milk | Cow Milk |
01 | Protein | 11 gm/liter | 33 gm/liter |
02 | Carbohydrate | 70 gm/liter | 50 gm/liter |
03 | Fats | 35 gm/liter | 35 gm/liter |
04 | Nonprotein | 0.32 gm/liter | 0.32 gm/liter |
05 | Minerals | 2 gm/liter | 8 gm/liter |
06 | Calcium | 0.33 gm/liter | 1 gm/liter |
07 | Potassium | 0.15 gm/liter | 1 gm/liter |
08 | Iron | 0.4-1.5 mgm/liter | 0.3-0.05 mgm/liter |
09 | Vitamin C | 60 gm/liter | 20 gm/liter |
10 | Vitamin D | 50 IU | 25 IU |
11 | Water | 88 gm/liter | 7 gm/liter |
12 | Energy | 640-720 Kcal | 650 Kcal |
More questions related to this article:
- Why breast milk is superior to cow’s milk?
- Breast milk is superior to cow’s milk-Justify it.
- Mother’s milk is superior to cow’s milk- Justify it.
- What is the comparison between cow’s milk and human milk?
- What are the advantages of breast milk over cow milk?
- Explain human milk vs cow milk.
- What is the percentage of water in breast milk?
- Write about breast milk composition.
- What is the amount of protein in breast milk?
- What is the amount of carbohydrates in human breast milk?
- What is the amount of irons in human breast milk?
- What is the amount of calcium in breast milk?
- What is the amount of fat in breast milk?
- What is the amount of vitamins in human breast milk?
- What is the amount of minerals in human milk?
- Why human breast milk is called ideal food?
Maria Khatun Mona is a Founder and Editor of Nursing Exercise Blog. She is a Nursing and Midwifery Expert. Currently she is working as a Registered Nurse at Evercare Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has great passion in writing different articles on Nursing and Midwifery. Mail her at “maria.mona023@gmail.com”
Very useful information, thanks for sharing!