Watch CBS News

Breast Milk Pills Could Be Answer To Curing Intestinal Problems

UC DAVIS (CBS13) — Researchers at UC Davis say they have the answer to curing intestinal problems in at-risk babies and adults, and it's in the form of breast milk pills.

It's taken 10 years of research and researchers say they've come up with a way to package good bacteria in pill-form.

Researchers have long said that mother's milk can prevent disease, but in a UC Davis food science lab, scientists apply that old research for a new medical breakthrough.

Dr. Bruce German and his team of microbiologists and chemists have developed a probiotic supplement taken from human breast milk. They claim it could help at-risk children in developing countries, cancer patients and premature babies.

German says the breast milk bacteria is indigestible and starves out bad bugs in the gut.

Researchers separate the sugars, or the good bacteria, and store it in the oxygen-free chambers. The bacteria collected in the research lab ends in the milk processing lab. State-of-the-art machines turn the compounds into a powder that can be used in a variety of products.

This will eventually end of up store shelves if German has his way. Now his challenge is coming up with a marketing strategy to get past the ick factor.

"When we consume cheese or when we consume other fermented products, we consume microorganisms," he said. "In this case we consume bacteria that will help us with lots of things."

Researchers are in the process of launching a startup in the Bay Area and getting it out in less than a year.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.