The Mother Lode

A bonanza of potent disease-fighting compounds has been discovered in a surprisingly common source — the breasts of every nursing mother on the planet. Human milk, the only substance that evolved to feed and protect us, seems to contain a trove of medicines just now being unlocked by scientists.

At the forefront of breast milk’s potential lies a diverse set of sugar molecules called human milk oligosaccharides.

Learn more about how they play the role of microbial managers from the latest Science News article.