Breast is Best!

1 PROTEINS

Proteins serve a number of important functions. Babies use protein to build muscles, to carry nutrients in the blood, and to help fight infections. In addition, protein can also be used as a source of energy. Consuming sufficient amounts of protein is especially important in periods of rapid growth, like infancy.

Proteins are composed of substances called amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. An easy way to understand proteins is to think of proteins as chains. The amino acids are the individual links in the chains. The human body can make all but 10 amino acids. Because babies must get these 10 amino acids from their diet and because they are necessary for normal healthy growth, they are called essential amino acids.

Breastmilk is the ‘gold standard’. Like almost all other nutrients,