Micronutrients: sugar molecule stimulates brain development in newborns
Neuronal development is influenced by a number of factors from birth. A sugar molecule contained in human breast milk appears to be directly involved in this.
An infant needs different nutrients at different times in order to develop optimally. One particular micronutrient contained in breast milk is particularly important for the neuronal development of newborns. This is indicated by the results of a new study by the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Massachusetts. The experts report on this in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences". As breastfeeding is not possible in every situation and for all mothers, such findings can help to improve artificially produced substitute milk.
The research group found that a sugar molecule called myo-inositol is most strongly represented in human breast milk in the first few months of breastfeeding, precisely when the synapses, i.e. the neuronal connections in the infant's brain, form particularly quickly. This was the case regardless of the mother's ethnicity or social background. The team analysed and compared breast milk samples collected as part of the "Global Exploration of Human Milk" study in Mexico City, Shanghai and Cincinnati. Myo-inositol appears to increase both the size and number of neuronal connections in the developing brain.
Brain development is controlled from birth by genetic and environmental factors as well as experience. One environmental influence that offers many points of attack for scientific research is nutrition. In early infancy, the brain may be particularly sensitive to food components, as the blood-brain barrier is more permeable and small molecules can pass more easily from the blood into the brain.
Correlation with psychiatric disorders
"As a neuroscientist, it's fascinating to me how profound the effects of micronutrients are on the brain," said Thomas Biederer, senior scientist in the Neuroscience and Aging team at the HNRCA and lead author of the study, according to a press release. It is amazing how complex and rich human breast milk is. "I think it is conceivable that its composition even changes dynamically to support the different stages of infant brain development."
In this context, it is also interesting to see how inositol levels change over the course of life. Previous research had already shown that it initially decreases over time in the brains of infants. In adult patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, however, significantly lower levels of inositol were found in the brain than would actually be normal. In addition, genetic changes in myo-inositol transporters have been linked to schizophrenia. In contrast, people with Down syndrome and patients with Alzheimer's dementia appear to have higher myo-inositol accumulations than normal.
"The current research suggests that in cases where breastfeeding is not possible, it may be beneficial to increase the myo-inositol content in infant formula," explained Biederer. However, it is still too early to recommend the consumption of myo-inositol to adults with certain psychiatric illnesses, as not enough is known about why the inositol level is sometimes too low and sometimes too high. The substance is found in significant quantities in certain types of grain, beans and citrus fruits, for example. It cannot yet be completely ruled out that the low inositol level is a side effect of medication used to treat depression or bipolar disorders. "We now want to conduct further research into whether and how micronutrients such as myo-inositol can affect the cells and connectivity of the ageing brain," said Biederer.
Spectrum of Science
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