Baby formulas now share some ingredients with breast milk
They may one day replicate its benefits
FOR MORE than 100 years scientists and companies have tried to create an artificial version of breast milk. Success has been limited. Early efforts, full of sugar or cheap corn syrup, fell woefully short. Even 20th-century formulas meant to emulate breast milk’s nutritional profile were a far cry from the real thing.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Like mother used to make”
From the September 14th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Elon Musk is causing problems for the Royal Society
His continued membership has led to a high-profile resignation
Deforestation is costing Brazilian farmers millions
Without trees to circulate moisture, the land is getting hotter and drier
Robots can learn new actions faster thanks to AI techniques
They could soon show their moves in settings from car factories to care homes
Scientists are learning why ultra-processed foods are bad for you
A mystery is finally being solved
Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever
Concerns about some of their business models are building
The two types of human laugh
One is caused by tickling; the other by everything else