1098: Breast Milk Is Understudied. What Are Scientists Learning Now? episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 14, 2025 · 18 MIN

1098: Breast Milk Is Understudied. What Are Scientists Learning Now?

from Science Friday · host Science Friday

If you’ve found yourself scrolling through the breastfeeding world online, you know that people have a lot of strong opinions about breast milk. But what exactly do we know about the biology of it? Does breast milk really adapt to a baby’s needs? Does it confer immunity? How does making breast milk impact the breastfeeder? Joining Host Flora Lichtman to spin through the science of this sophisticated substance are experts Shelley McGuire and Deepshika Ramanan.Guests: Dr. Shelley McGuire is the director of the Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Idaho.Dr. Deepshika Ramanan is an assistant professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 14, 2025

Embed this episode

There are a lot of claims about breast milk, but we know little about this sophisticated substance. Two researchers update us on the latest.

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

NOW PLAYING

1098: Breast Milk Is Understudied. What Are Scientists Learning Now?

0:00 18:56

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Science Friday?

This episode is 18 minutes long.

When was this Science Friday episode published?

This episode was published on August 14, 2025.

Can I download this Science Friday episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!