The Elixir of Life: How Breastmilk And Bacteria Shape a Baby’s Health
Breastfeeding, Bifidobacterium infantis, and Baby’s Gut Health: What Science and Ayurveda Reveal About Building a Strong Microbiome and Supporting Infant Digestion
By Mamta Rana
I recently listened to an episode of one of my favorite podcasts, Radiolab, called “The Elixir of Life.” I was mesmerized by its topic—especially because I have several friends with little babies, and I often hear them talk about sleepless nights, tummy aches, and colicky discomfort.
As I was listening, I couldn’t help but think more and more about Ayurveda—and how its wisdom connects so beautifully to this fascinating story of breastmilk, gut health, and the invisible world inside us.
This article is my reflection on what I learned, and how both modern science and ancient Ayurveda offer insights and gentle solutions for helping babies build strong digestion and a resilient microbiome—whether through breastfeeding or other paths.
The Secret Ingredient Babies Can't Digest
When we think of breastmilk, most of us imagine it as food—a source of fat, protein, and nutrients to help a newborn grow. But as I recently learned in the fascinating podcast from Radiolab, “The Elixir of Life,” breastmilk is far more than just nourishment: it is an elixir for shaping life itself.
Hidden in its complex chemistry is a mysterious ingredient that babies themselves cannot digest—human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). Why would nature put something in milk that the infant’s body cannot use? The answer lies in a remarkable story of symbiosis between mother, baby, and bacteria—one that modern science is only beginning to fully understand, yet that ancient wisdom traditions like Ayurveda have long intuited.
HMOs make up one of the largest components of breastmilk—yet they pass through the infant’s stomach undigested. It turns out they are not designed to feed the baby directly, but to feed a particular kind of beneficial bacteria in the baby’s gut: Bifidobacterium infantis (B. infantis).
This bacteria is uniquely adapted to break down HMOs, creating byproducts that:
Strengthen the gut lining
Train the immune system
Protect against inflammation
Crowd out harmful bacteria
In other words, breastmilk isn’t just building a baby’s body—it is building a healthy inner ecosystem.
A Vanishing Symbiosis
The podcast traces the story across continents—from Bangladesh to Mennonite communities in the U.S.—where researchers have found that in traditional, low-intervention birth settings, B. infantis still thrives in infants’ guts.
But in modern industrialized nations, this symbiosis is disappearing.
Increased C-sections
Early use of antibiotics
Less breastfeeding
Greater sterility and altered environments
—all contribute to a loss of B. infantis colonization.
Without it, babies miss out on the full protective and developmental benefits of their mother’s milk, and may face greater risks of allergies, autoimmunity, and gut-related disorders later in life.
What Ayurveda Has Always Known
Though modern science is now mapping these discoveries in exquisite biochemical detail, it is striking how deeply this story echoes principles that Ayurveda has taught for thousands of years.
The Wisdom of Breastfeeding
Ayurveda has always viewed mother’s milk (stanya) as the most perfect and sattvic food for infants—tailored to the child’s constitution and stage of growth.
Classical Ayurvedic texts describe how the qualities of milk vary according to the mother’s state (her doshas, digestion, emotions), and how it not only nourishes but imprints ojas (vital immunity) into the child.
In modern terms: this is exactly what we see when HMOs support B. infantis and immune development.
The Importance of Agni & Digestion
Ayurveda teaches that even the tiniest child’s health depends on building strong agni (digestive fire)—but that this must happen gradually.
Breastmilk’s role in shaping the microbiome can be seen as a modern understanding of how breastmilk supports the infant’s immature agni:
The baby’s body can’t digest HMOs yet—because it is not supposed to.
The right bacteria digest them on the baby’s behalf, creating the foundation for healthy digestion later.
This perfectly mirrors the Ayurvedic concept that digestion and immunity evolve together over time—and that external support (here, through mother’s milk and microbial allies) is key in the beginning.
Symbiosis with Nature
The loss of B. infantis is a modern example of vikriti—distortion of natural harmony due to lifestyle, medical interventions, and disconnection from nature.
Re-establishing this harmony—whether through conscious birth practices, respectful breastfeeding support, or probiotic restoration—aligns beautifully with Ayurvedic principles of restoring balance and flow.
If Breastfeeding Is Not an Option: How to Support Baby’s Gut Health
(With insights from both modern and Ayurvedic approaches)
It’s important to remember that while breastfeeding offers unique benefits, many mothers may be unable or choose not to breastfeed—and this choice deserves full respect and support.
At the same time, many formula-fed babies experience gut discomfort, colic, and digestive issues—in part because they miss out on the HMOs and bacterial nurturing that breastmilk provides.
The good news is that both modern medicine and Ayurvedic wisdom offer ways to help support a baby’s gut health, even when breastfeeding is not the path.
Modern Support Strategies
🍼 HMO-Enriched Formulas:
Some formulas now include synthetic HMOs that mimic those in breastmilk, helping to nourish beneficial bacteria. While not fully identical to breastmilk, these can be helpful in shaping a more protective microbiome.
🦠 Probiotic Supplementation (B. infantis):
Many clinicians now recommend supplementing newborns (especially C-section or formula-fed) with probiotic strains like Bifidobacterium infantis EVC001—which has shown strong evidence for reducing colic, gas, and gut inflammation.
💧 Gentle Feeding Practices:
Using small, frequent feeds, ensuring proper burping and positioning, and choosing formulas that are well tolerated can help reduce colic symptoms.
Ayurvedic Support Strategies
🌿 Balancing Agni Gently:
Even newborns can be gently supported in building digestive strength (agni):
Warm, loving touch—abhyanga (infant massage) with warm sesame or coconut oil soothes the nervous system and stimulates healthy digestion.
Mothers and caregivers can follow a Vata-pacifying diet (grounding, warm foods) when feeding or bottle-feeding the baby, as the mother’s emotional and energetic state can subtly influence the child.
🌱 Ayurvedic Probiotic Support:
If appropriate and guided by an Ayurvedic practitioner:
Gentle forms of buttermilk (takra) introduced during weaning can help establish beneficial bacteria.
Certain Ayurvedic herbs like bilva, shunthi (dry ginger), pippali (long pepper)—when expertly prepared—may be used later to strengthen digestion (not in the first few months, but gradually introduced).
🛌 Rhythm and Routine (Dinacharya):
Babies thrive on rhythm. Simple daily routines—consistent feeding, sleep, massage, soft sounds—support the development of healthy digestion and immunity.
A Deeper Reflection: The Web of Life Within and Around Us
This story of breastmilk, bacteria, and changing microbiomes is also a beautiful and humbling reminder of how deeply connected we are to the great environment around us.
Changes in our lifestyle—our births, diets, medical practices, and even the sterility of our surroundings—don’t simply stay “outside” of us. They manifest as changes within our bodies, at forces greater than we can imagine. In this case, they have altered a core function of our physiology—almost eliminating something as crucial as B. infantis, a bacterial ally that once served a profound purpose for generations of human children.
And this is not just about “the body”—it is about an entire ecosystem. A mother’s microbiome supports a baby’s microbiome; a baby’s body becomes a new little microcosm connected to the larger macrocosm.
Think of this: If this is not astonishing, then what is? A bacteria that evolved alongside us for millennia—designed to thrive on our milk, shape our immunity, and pass through us to the next generation—being erased by invisible shifts in how we live.
And yet, while we cannot undo the past, we can consciously shape how we move forward. We can create gentle “rewind” changes, restoring rhythms and choices that support this web of life once more. By being more conscious of how we birth, nourish, and care for ourselves and our children, we participate in a living cycle of healing and reconnection.
In the words of the Caraka Samhita:
“Loka Purusha Samya Siddhanta”
The principles of the individual (Purusha) and the universe (Loka) are inherently connected and mirror one another. As is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm.
When we honor this wisdom, we honor not only our own health, but the deep continuity of life itself.
Conclusion: A Modern Echo of Ancient Truth
Science is now revealing the profound intelligence of breastmilk and the ancient symbiotic relationships between mother, baby, and the microbial world.
Ayurveda, without microscopes, already grasped this truth:
that breastmilk is more than food—it is a living, adaptive, life-building elixir
that digestion, immunity, and vitality develop in layers, with natural supports at each stage
that health is the result of harmonious relationships, inside and out
As we rediscover the power of B. infantis and HMOs, we are not just advancing medical knowledge—we are returning to an ancient understanding of life’s deep interdependence.
Whether through breastfeeding, formula, or a combination of both, every mother and baby’s path is unique. What matters most is not perfection, but presence—offering nourishment, warmth, and love in whatever form is available.
Both modern science and Ayurveda remind us that the journey of building a healthy gut and strong immunity begins not with a single choice, but with an ongoing dance of care: supporting the baby’s digestion, honoring natural rhythms, cultivating microbial allies, and nurturing the deep bond between parent and child.
In this, every mother is enough. Every small act of conscious care becomes part of the great elixir of life we all share.
