Introduction
To supplement human breast milk, scientists have come up with genetically modified milk derived from dairy cows. Three hundred cows have been modified to produce milk with human breast milk properties (Gray, 2011). The milk has been genetically modified to include lysozyme (HLZ) that improves the immune system of newborn babies and fights ailments. Chinese researchers have introduced genes that bring lysozyme and other human proteins into the embryos of these cows. The embryos are then implanted in surrogate or genetically modified mother cows. The result of this is a cow that can produce milk containing lysozyme and two other proteins (Yang, Wang, Tang B, Liu, & Guo, 2011). This paper seeks to outline the specific nutritional benefits obtained from this milk. It will also highlight the pros and cons associated with this development.
Li observes that although HLZ is beneficial to young babies, it is not all mothers who want to go into lactation. Some factors prevent lactation, especially medical and health issues of the mother and the child. The mother might be willing to breastfeed but unfortunately not be able to produce sufficient milk. In addition, if the mother has a chronic illness, she may be advised by health practitioners to decline to breastfeed the baby (Gray, 2011).
It is therefore important to develop alternative sources of HLZ. This research is aimed at benefitting the health of infants. Researchers believe that modified milk from cows will be a better alternative than baby formula. The researchers hope the genetically modified milk could be sold in retails in the future to supplement the baby formulas which have been alleged as inferior (Braconnier, 2011).
Nutritional Benefits
One of the advantages of this invention is that the milk will be able to support babies with normal diet needs and special needs. Genetically modified milk exhibits similar nutritional characteristics to human breast milk. The genetically modified milk will have proteins such as HLZ, Lactoferrin and alpha-lactalbumin that are found in breast milk. Scientists have tried to balance the amount of protein, vitamins and fats to resemble breast milk (Jackson, Berg, Murray, & Maga, 2010).
The nutritional content of genetically modified milk from cows is brought close to that of human breast milk. A hundred-milliliter pack of human breast milk after three weeks of lactation contains approximately 70 calories, 7.4 g carbohydrate, 1.3 g protein, 4.2 g fat, and about 89.97 g of water. These values are the average obtained from samples taken repeatedly from different sources. Research suggests that these compositions vary during the day; for instance fat content may change as much as 2g/l in a period of twenty-four hours. The degree of composition has also been found to vary according to the diet composition (Yang, Wang, Tang B, Liu, & Guo, 2011).
Pure colostrums without any genetic interference produce lower values than the stated values for human breast milk. A hundred-milliliter sample taken after a few days of lactation contains approximately 58 calories, 5.3g carbohydrates, 3.7g protein, and 2.9g fat. Colostrum is low in fat and carbohydrates compared to human breast milk taken after a few days of lactation. The fat content, vitamins and beta carotene in cow’s milk will continue to decrease with time. Genetically modified cow’s milk has been made to bring the nutritional content closer to that of human breast milk (Yang, Wang, Tang B, Liu, & Guo, 2011).
Genetically modified cow’s milk has improved the fat content of ordinary cow’s milk. The scientists have boosted the fat content to about twenty percent, and have increased the number of milk solids drawing it closer to human breast milk (Gray, 2011). Fat is very important for the growth of a baby and is responsible for the majority of the calories in human breast milk. The modified fat contents in genetically modified milk will be important for the health of the baby. This is because fat is the primary source of the majority of calories in breast milk. Fat determines the growth rates and is required in the metabolism of vitamins; fat deficiency has a direct relationship with vitamin deficiency (Jackson, Berg, Murray, & Maga, 2010).
Important protein improvements have been made on genetically modified cow’s milk to allow easier digestion and assimilation. Milk contains two categories of protein including whey and caseins. The wheys maintain a liquid state in the stomach while the caseins turn into curds; therefore wheys are easier to digest. Human breast milk contains sixty percent whey compared to a cow’s milk at eighteen percent. This makes it hard for a human infant to digest cow’s milk. The genetically modified milk has increased the percentage of whey and has reduced the casein content to make it helpful for an infant. The milk has modified the proteins to serve as defense against disease-causing organisms. Immunoglobulin, a protein that protects the infant against respiratory bacteria, viruses and intestinal parasites has been incorporated (Yang, Wang, Tang B, Liu, & Guo, 2011).
Merits
Although normal cow’s milk has a higher protein density than human milk, it is not specifically good for human consumption, worse still for a growing infant. Health experts assert that this milk is specifically designed to cater to the needs of a developing calf. The milk does not have antimicrobials, hormones and digestive enzymes that are present in human milk. This research is meant to make those additions to cow’s milk to make it more digestible and nutritional (Braconnier, 2011).
An advantage of genetically modified cows’ milk to the health of an infant is that it contains lysozyme. This is an antimicrobial protein that is usually found in large quantities in human breast milk. This protein protects babies from any bacterial infection after they are born. The genetically modified milk will help adopted babies who will arguably not get an opportunity to breastfeed from their mothers. If the mother cannot breastfeed the baby on basis of health, the baby can get this genetically modified milk instead of relying on normal cow’s milk that lacks antimicrobial protein (Dresbach, Flax, Sokolowski, & Allred, 2009).
Genetically modified cow milk contains a human protein called lactoferrin. This protein will aid infants to increase the numbers of immune cells in the body. This means that those infants consuming the milk will have a boosted immune system. This will improve the health of the baby to keep the diseases and infections away. If the baby cannot access breast milk for some reason, this milk will be beneficial rather than using the normal cow’s milk that lacks lactoferrin (Yang, Wang, Tang B, Liu, & Guo, 2011).
Demerits
The development of genetically modified (GM) milk from cows has elicited negative claims from campaigns against GM technology. Although the research has a backing of a major biotechnology company, the research is likely to attract criticisms and opposition from stakeholders. The research also elicits legal and ethical concerns. Criticisms have already been obtained from animal welfare groups who reacted angrily to this study. They have questioned the effects on the health of the cows and the health safety of the milk obtained (Dresbach, Flax, Sokolowski, & Allred, 2009).
Environmental activists are concerned about the impact of this development on the environment. The side effects are not clearly known so in matters of ethics; it is not good to test this milk on human beings, worst of all babies. Ethical issues in matters of altering the genes are that we do not need to hurt the animals. Another ethical concern is the mass production of these kinds of cows. The safety of the milk has to be ascertained before the milk is sold.
A health concern about GM milk is that introduction of proteins into organisms may induce allergy in GM products (Dresbach, Flax, Sokolowski, & Allred, 2009). Genetically modified milk from cows will affect society directly and therefore, the stakeholders need to open debates for the public to participate. This product might be consumed unwillingly and out of no choice by the poor, powerless, and illiterate people in the society. These are people who do not have any influence on the issue of genetically modified organisms. The development might produce a good product but the question remains whether the milk will reach poor people especially in developing countries. The invention might be patented and be affordable to only the rich people in society.
Conclusion
Genetically modified milk from cows is a new development that needs to be tested for a long time before it is made available to the public. GM milk has the potential of solving health issues in society. However, the analysis should be made to consolidate all the health, ethical, environmental and legal concerns. The public all over the world and in targeted markets needs to be adequately informed to not only bear the risks of GMOs but also reap the benefits.
References
Braconnier, D. (2011). Genetically modified cows may one day produce human breast milk. Web.
Dresbach, S. H., Flax, H., Sokolowski, A., & Allred, J. (2009). The Impact of Genetically Modified Organisms on Human Health. Neil Avenue, Columbus: Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet.
Gray, R. (2011). Genetically modified cows produce ‘human’ milk. The Telegraph , pp. 1-2.
Jackson, K. A., Berg, J. M., Murray, J. D., & Maga, E. A. (2010). Evaluating the fitness of human lysozyme transgenic dairy goats: growth and reproductive traits. Transgenic Res , 977–986.
Yang, B., Wang, J., Tang B, B., Liu, Y., & Guo, C. (2011). Characterization of Bioactive Recombinant Human Lysozyme Expressed in Milk of Cloned Transgenic Cattle. Web.