Academics find genetic differences in breastfed and non-breastfed babies, but warn more research is needed
The team say 'we need to study more diverse groups to fully understand this biology'
The largest study of its kind - backed by the University of Exeter - has found babies who are breastfeed carry differing markers in their blood than those who are not.
The team say it's unclear if that makes any impact on things like immunity or development - and more research is still needed.
Study co-lead Dr Doretta Caramaschi, of the University of Exeter, said: “Our findings show that babies who are exclusively breastfed carry epigenetic changes associated with that experience.
"The genes that are affected by these markers are involved in developmental and immunity processes, but we can’t say from our study whether this affects those highly complex processes directly. “
The finding comes from the largest study of its kind, conducted across an international consortium. Researchers studied blood sample data in children, looking at epigenetic marks across the genome. Epigenetics refers to chemical changes to DNA which influence which genes are active and how they function. Specifically, the team looked at the epigenetic process of DNA methylation, a chemical process which can be detected in blood samples.
The research was led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol and published in Clinical Epigenetics.
Dr Mariona Bustamante, of ISGlobal, an institution supported by the la Caixa Foundation, added: “Our results are new and interesting, but we do need to interpret them with some caution.
"Our study is designed to be collaborative and international, however, we need to study more diverse groups to fully understand this biology.”