Key Sugars in Breast Milk Support Toddler Gut and Brain Development After the First Year

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Health, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 10 November 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are complex sugars that pass undigested to your baby's colon, where they feed beneficial bacteria, strengthen defenses, and support healthy brain and immune development
A systematic review and meta-analysis in Frontiers in Pediatrics found that breast milk continues supplying substantial amounts of HMOs beyond 12 months, supporting gut health and brain development into toddlerhood
Certain HMOs, such as 3-fucosyllactose, even increase over time. This shows that the balance of individual sugars shifts across lactation and continues shaping your child's development after infancy
Breast milk also contains myo-inositol, a sugar shown to boost synapse formation and neuronal connectivity, highlighting how breast milk delivers brain-supportive compounds beyond traditional nutrients
To keep your breast milk as nourishing as possible for your baby, prioritize whole foods, minimize unnecessary medications, and reduce toxin exposure. If breastfeeding isn't possible, screened donor milk is the next best option

Transcript

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0:00.0	Are you aware that the sugars in your breast milk don't just feed your baby? They continue
0:04.6	shaping your toddler's gut, brain, and immune system well after the first birthday?
0:10.3	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our
0:15.9	latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. No reading required. Subscribe for free at
0:20.7	at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:23.7	Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster.
0:29.4	Today we're exploring how human milk oligosaccharides, HMOS, remain abundant beyond 12 months,
0:37.0	and what that means for your child's microbiome, cognition,
0:40.1	and long-term resilience.
0:42.1	I'm Alara Skye.
0:44.4	You'll hear what a systematic review and meta-analysis found about HMO levels across
0:48.4	the second year.
0:49.9	Why certain sugars like three fucusylactose rise over time, how sialeliorrelated HMO's support learning,
0:56.1	and how myo-inacetol in breast milk boosts synapse formation. We'll also cover clear,
1:02.1	practical steps you can take to keep your milk as nourishing as possible. Let's start with the
1:07.1	headline. HMOS are complex sugars that don't get digested for energy. They move
1:12.9	intact to your child's colon, where they feed beneficial bacteria, strengthen defenses, and support
1:18.6	healthy brain and immune development. They're the third most abundant solid in breast milk,
1:23.6	after lactose and lipids, so their ongoing presence matters for development well-past infancy.
1:29.5	A recent review in Frontiers in Pediatrics looked specifically at HMOs at or after 12 months.
1:37.0	13 studies with 4,786 milk samples standardized results into grams per liter so you could compare across methods.
1:46.2	Across all time points, 42 HMOs appeared at least once, but six dominated in ten or more studies.
	...

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