JACN Did you know that you can get alerts when a new issue is online?
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Motil, K. J.
Right arrow Articles by Montandon, C. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Motil, K. J.
Right arrow Articles by Montandon, C. M.

Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol 14, Issue 2 184-191, Copyright © 1995 by American College of Nutrition

CLINICAL TRIAL

Marginal dietary protein restriction reduced nonprotein nitrogen, but not protein nitrogen, components of human milk

K. J. Motil, M. Thotathuchery, A. Bahar and C. M. Montandon
Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Texas, USA.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine whether marginal dietary protein intakes of lactating women alter their milk production and composition. The study followed the observation that marginal dietary protein intakes lead to significantly negative nitrogen balances in these women. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy, mature lactating women were divided evenly into three groups on the basis of postpartum times; 1, 5, or 12 months. Each woman was given a controlled protein diet of either 1.5 (HP) or 1.0 (MP) g/kg body weight/day for 7 to 10 days. Milk production was measured for 72 hours by test weighing the infant before and after feeding. Milk samples from alternate breasts were collected for 24 hours, pooled, and analyzed for their protein nitrogen, nonprotein nitrogen, free and protein-bound amino acid, and lactoferrin concentrations. RESULTS: Reduced dietary protein intakes were associated with a decrease (p < 0.05) in the nonprotein nitrogen and total free amino acid fractions of milk. Although urea was unaffected, the concentrations of milk free leucine, phenylalanine, histidine, and ornithine were lower (p < 0.05) in the MP than in the HP group, while the output of leucine and histidine tended to be lower in the MP group. The amount of milk produced, as well as the amounts of protein nitrogen, protein-bound amino acid, and lactoferrin and their concentrations were unaffected by a reduction of dietary protein. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal milk production and the protein nitrogen, but not the nonprotein nitrogen, fraction of human milk were relatively well-preserved in the presence of a short-term, marginal reduction of dietary protein.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1995 by the American College of Nutrition.