Nitrite and Nitrate in Human Breast Milk: Implications for Development

Abstract

Nitrite and nitrate from dietary sources offer a number of nutritional and health-promoting functions in adults and infants. The presence of relatively high concentrations of nitrite and nitrate in human breast milk provides additional support and evidence that these anions are necessary for growth and development as well as immunological support in the newborn infant. The emerging data suggest that differences in the nitrite and nitrate content of breast milk and formula milk may account for some of the health disparities of breastfed vs. formula-fed infants. This chapter presents the context for the essential role of nitrite and nitrate in the newborn infant.