🎧 Unlocking the Secrets of Human Milk with Dr. Lars Bode
Dr. Bode shares how research on human milk supports infant and maternal health, plus offers new paths to treating cardiovascular disease and arthritis.
This week on the show, we’re joined by Dr. Lars Bode, a leading expert in human milk research and director of the Human Milk Institute at UC San Diego. Dr. Bode takes us on a fascinating journey into the science of breast milk, breaking down its unique composition, health benefits, and role in shaping infant development. We discuss how maternal diet, environmental exposures, and even medications influence milk production, as well as the critical role of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in supporting infant immunity and gut health. Dr. Bode also shares groundbreaking research on milk-derived compounds with potential applications in adult health, including cardiovascular disease and arthritis. Don't miss this deep dive into one of nature’s most remarkable superfoods!
🔗 Learn more at https://hmi.ucsd.edu/
About Lars
Dr. Lars Bode is Professor of Pediatrics, the Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Chair of Collaborative Human Milk Research, founding Director of the Mother-Milk-Infant Center of Research Excellence (MOMI CORE), and founding Director of the Human Milk Institute (HMI) at the University of California San Diego.
Dr. Bode leads a research program dedicated to breastfeeding and human milk in general and Human Milk Oligosaccharides in particular. Dr. Bode’s main research objectives are to elucidate (i) how milk components are synthesized in the mother’s mammary gland, (ii) how milk composition is affected by external factors such as nutrition, pathogens, or medications, (iii) how milk components affect immediate as well as long-term health and development of infants and mothers, and (iv) how they can serve as natural templates for the development of preventatives, therapeutics, and diagnostics for people of all ages.
Dr. Bode has given over 250 lectures at national and international events and published nearly 200 peer-reviewed articles on human milk, ranking in the top 0.1% of most highly cited scientists in the world in 2022. In addition, Dr. Bode serves as a member of the WHO World Health Emergencies Programme to advise on the safety of breastfeeding and human milk during emergencies.
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Yours in health, Dr. Quave
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a Guggenheim Fellow, CNN Champion for Change, Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, recipient of The National Academies Award for Excellence in Science Communication, and award-winning author of The Plant Hunter. Her day job is as professor and herbarium curator at Emory University School of Medicine, where she leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription to Nature’s Pharmacy or donation to her lab research.
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