Here's a bit more on insulin in human milk from an Israeli paper .  Same 
company Valerie's post mentioned. 

As good as mother's milk
October 19, 2003
(Courtesy of BioIsrael) 
Volume IV Issue 8, September 2003   

Good News for Formula-Fed Babies
Crucial Ingredient to be Tested in Clinical Trials  
"Nutrinia, founded by Dr. Naim Shehadeh, is developing infant formula 
containing insulin with the same bioavailability and potency as the insulin contained 
in mother`s milk.
Although scientists knew that human mother's milk contains insulin, the 
reason for this phenomenon puzzled scientists for a long time. The insulin that is 
found in the bloodstream and cells has a clear role: it is used by the body 
for glucose regulation. However, because orally-administered insulin at PPM 
(Parts-Per-Million) levels is not easily digested or able to make its way into the 
bloodstream, it seemed unlikely that it would be present in mother's milk for 
this reason. 

Then a few years ago, scientists began solving the mystery. They found out 
not only why infants need insulin in their milk but also what happens if they 
don't get it. Studies showed that insulin plays a crucial role in helping the 
small intestines to mature and develop properly. Insulin, it was observed, 
serves as a well-localized growth factor on highly specific receptors in the 
gastrointestinal tract (GI) and helps make the entire GI system mature in a much 
healthier manner. 

An even more important clinical finding - currently observed in animal models 
but not yet validated in humans - suggests that mammals prone to Diabetes 
Type I (e.g. juvenile or Insulin-dependent Diabetes) and deprived of mother's 
milk containing insulin have an increased risk of becoming sick in the disease. 

About five years ago Shehadeh began to look for a way to introduce insulin 
into infant formulas. He did so realizing that insulin is a very sensitive 
protein that needs to be refrigerated and is highly perishable even under optimal 
storage conditions. 

After years of research he came up with InsuMeal. The proprietary technology 
that Dr. Shehadeh devised, enables the industrial production of 
micro-encapsulated insulin that can be incorporated into an infant formula while maintaining 
a level of potency and bioavailability similar to that of the insulin present 
in natural mother's milk." 

Nutrinia has to date obtained initial funding from the Office of the Chief 
Scientist, Maabarot Industries (the manufacturer of the Materna brand and 
Israel's largest infant food company) as well as a private Israeli-Arab investor. 

Mardrey Swenson LLLL DC IBCLC

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