Dietary Practices and Macro Nutrient Intake of Women at Varying Periods of Lactation

Abstract

From a knowledge of human metabolism during lactation, it can be predicted that substrates for breast milk synthesis are blood (for milk energy and lactose) fatty acid (for longer chain acids), blood free aminoacids (for protein synthesis). When a lactating women derives around 30 per cent of dietary energy from fat, 40-50 per cent of medium and long chain saturated fatty acids are produced, the rest are mobilized from fat depots. Most of the glucose and aminoacids required for milk synthesis also are supplied from the diet.