It depends on how finely you cut it.

A researcher here at Cornell was working a few years ago on some of the
"cell membrane fragment proteins" (I think I'm saying that right) - bits of
cell membrane that rip loose as elements within the alveolar cells are
released into the alveolar lumen.  He wondered at the time if perhaps it was
those proteins that were involved in breastmilk's anti-cancer effects.  He
said there were at least 50 different such proteins, some of which weren't
even named.  And all those 50 components represent are the shreds of
alveolar structure that happen to drift through milk.  It doesn't take long
to get high numbers with that degree of complexity.

I think it was Joanne Scott, in an early issue of JHL, who gave a figure of
over 300 "ingredients" in human milk, vs something like 80 in formula, in a
court testimony.  She's since forgotten where she got the figure.  But that
was more than a decade ago, with much research since.

The "perhaps 1,000" figure that I give on one of my handouts is a guess by
the researcher who was looking at those cell membrane fragments.  I've
debated removing it, because I've never found anyone who has actually
counted.  And I'd love opinions on whether or not I should keep it.  Again,
it depends on how detailed you want to get.  You could say it has 2
ingredients - a solid portion and a liquid portion.  But separate it out at
any detailed level, and if you cut formula just as fine, you're not going to
get anything like an equivalent figure, at least not if you're looking at
"active ingredients".
--
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL  Ithaca, NY
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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