March 1, 2008
Lipase And Bad Tasting Breast Milk
Lipase in breast milk that is pumped and stored can can give the milk an unpalatable metallic flavor in just a few hours. This is because lipase, an enzyme that aids in the digestion of fats, begins to break down the fat in stored breast milk. The fat contributes to breast milk’s appealing flavor, so when the lipase breaks down the fat before consumption, your baby may not like the taste.
One method that has been suggested by some breastfeeding mothers for preventing this is to briefly scald the milk. Just let it get hot enough for the edges of the pan to bubble a little and then quickly turn off the heat and cool the milk. This will be such a brief heating that the breast milk will retain it’s protective immunity factors and its nutritional value, but keep it’s flavor from spoiling.
If you choose to microwave the breast milk to achieve the same results, the breast milk will lose all of the protective immunity factors and some of its nutritional value, so scalding on the stove top appears to be the better choice. Also, milk subjected to microwaves needs to be treated like formula, as it will spoil rapidly.
Not every woman’s breast milk seems to have this problem, which may result from an excess of lipase combined with a need to pump and store their milk for later use, but for those women who do, and who desire to store their breast milk while retaining its best nutritional value, scalding may be a solution worth considering.
The best option, if available, is to have your baby take the milk directly from the breast. Naturally, the lipase in the breast milk is there to aid the baby in digesting it, so I have personal reservations about any form pasteurization that might interfere with our natural design. Any mother that feels compelled to scald or microwave her breast milk should cautiously weigh the cost verses the benefits to her baby.
Filed under Breast Milk Nutrition by Jessica
Comments on Lipase And Bad Tasting Breast Milk »
There is another solution besides scalding BM. As you’ve stated, lipase is an enzyme that breaks down the fat in breastmilk (It works like a little engine, and just like an engine, additives make it run quicker & better). Enzymes can be activated by metal ions such as Magnesium, Calcium, Manganese. Most likely the problem, for people with high levels of lipase in their BM, is these metals in the tapwater you are using to wash and rinse your breastpump equipment in. Trying washing, and rinsing anything that comes into contact with BM with distilled water. Also use phosphate-free dish soap. This should greatly reduce or even eliminate the problem. You will always have the high lipase in your BM, so your milk will not last as long as BM with normal levels of lipse, but it will last alot longer than a few hours. I’ve used this and even managed to keep my BM frozen up to 3months in a deep freeze w/o getting the soured taste. As long as the bottle/sippy cup I use has been well rinse with distilled water, it has even lasted over 4 hours at room temp w/o souring prematurely.
This is great advice! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you so much for the info!!! I am a working mom. My son used to drink from a bottle but all of a sudden refused to do so. I was so confused!!!! I tried every single bottle invented and he just wouldn’t have it. Thanks for the tip…
I’ve just realized that my frozen breast milk is high in lipase. My son seems to drink it even though I tasted it and it’s horrible. I will now scald before freezing, but what about the milk I already have frozen? Is it safe to continue feeding it to him?
If your baby accepts the milk it is perfectly fine to give it to him. If he begins to reject the frozen milk, then you may have to start from scratch with storage in the freezer.
I just visited the pedi. today for my daughters 4 month check-up and she said to NEVER put your milk on the stove. Now I’m totally confused as to what to do. I have almost 200 oz of breastmilk that smells and tastes like spit-up and another 75 oz that has been put on the stove.
What to do?
Help! I go back to work in one day and just discovered all of my frozen breastmilk has the spit up sour taste. Should I destroy the milk, forget the pumping and buy a can of formula?
Has anyone ever tried adding flavor to the thawed out milk to get rid of that metallic taste? I was thinking of adding a few drops of vanilla extract to overpower the sour taste. It seems such a waste to throw away good milk, just because the fat broke down. Maybe adding some fat would help, (i.e.) oive oil, flax seed oil.
If your milk has excess lipase, milk banks will still accept it! I had 600+ oz in our deep freezer as my daughter refused bottles and reverse cycled. When I finally started mixing it with rice cereal, I discovered the lipase issue. My local milk bank mixes all breast milk and they said lipase doesn’t mean the milk is rancid. DONATE if your baby refuses it! That’s much better than tossing it.
how do you find out whether or not you have high levels of lipase in your breast milk? After reading up on “sour/metallic” milk taste, I think my freezer supply might be “rancid” for lack of better words….. if the baby will drink it is it still okay to feed it to her? and will scalding really help?