As a breastfeeding mother, you may have encountered the term "high lipase" in relation to your breast milk. This blog post will delve into what lipase is, why it's important, and how it can affect your breast milk, especially when pumping and storing. We'll also explore solutions, including how freeze-drying can help.
What is Lipase and Why is it Important?
Lipase is an enzyme naturally present in breast milk. Its primary function is to break down fats in the milk, making them easier for your baby to digest. This process is crucial for your baby's ability to absorb the nutrients in breast milk efficiently.
Interestingly, breast milk has evolved to begin self-digestion as soon as it's expressed from the breast. While this is beneficial for your baby's digestion, it can create challenges when pumping and storing milk.
High Lipase Breast Milk: What's Different?
Some mothers produce milk where the lipase enzyme is more active. As lipase breaks down fats, it produces byproducts such as free fatty acids and glycerol. While these are nutrients your baby can digest, they can also cause the milk to develop a soapy or metallic taste and smell, which can be quite strong in some cases.
It's important to note that high lipase milk is perfectly safe for your baby to consume. However, some babies may refuse to drink it due to the altered taste.
The Science Behind Lipase Activity
Lipase requires the presence of water to continue breaking down fats into byproducts. This is why the enzyme's activity varies depending on storage conditions:
- At body temperature, in liquid form: Fastest activity
- In the refrigerator, in liquid form: Slower activity
- Fully frozen: Slowest activity
- Freeze-dried, stored at room temperature: No activity until water is added back in
The graphic below shows a visual representation of lipase activity in breast milk at various temperatures and phases (from liquid to frozen to freeze-dried).
Freeze-Drying and Lipase: Separating Fact from Fiction
Contrary to some claims circulating on social media, freeze-drying does not remove lipase from breast milk. This would be detrimental to your baby's nutrition!
Freeze-drying is a process that causes frozen water molecules to sublimate (turn directly from a solid into a gas) in a vacuum chamber. This process stops enzyme activity by removing water, but it preserves the nutrients and enzymes. When water is added back to the freeze-dried powder, the enzyme activity can resume, which is crucial for your baby's ability to absorb nutrients from the milk.
At Milkify, we're currently collaborating with research scientists to understand the exact mechanism behind this process. Our hypothesis is that some of the specific molecules or byproducts responsible for the "lipase taste" and "lipase smell" may be volatile or bound to the water that's removed during sublimation.
In the past five years of freeze-drying breast milk as a service for thousands of moms, we've observed that a significant majority of our clients report that freeze-drying reduces the "lipase taste" and "lipase smell" in breast milk. While individual experiences may vary, our internal data suggests that approximately 90% of mothers report that babies who previously refused frozen milk due to high lipase will happily take the same milk in its freeze-dried form. Many of these clients can still detect a slight “lipase-y” taste or smell, but report that it is much more subtle than before freeze-drying. But the key is, that baby no longer seems to mind!Â
It's important to note that these figures are based on customer feedback and not on a formal scientific study, and we have heard from a handful of clients that freeze-drying did not help save their milk. We’ve seen other services “over promise” on this, but we like to be upfront – if high lipase is a concern for you, we recommend freeze-drying a small amount first as a trial. For example, you could drop off a few bags at our facility, or you can ship 40 oz. to us using our Singles Kit.
Managing High Lipase Breast Milk
Here are some strategies to manage high lipase breast milk:
- Freeze Quickly: Since lipase works fastest at body temperature, freeze your milk as soon as possible after expressing it. Avoid leaving it at room temperature or in the refrigerator for extended periods.
- Avoid the Pitcher Method: If lipase is a concern, storing breast milk using the pitcher method may exacerbate the taste issue. The pitcher method involves collecting milk from multiple pumping sessions in a large container in the refrigerator before freezing. While convenient, this method can give lipase more time to affect the taste of your milk.
- Consider Freeze-Drying: Freeze-drying the milk as soon as possible can help. Choose a provider like Milkify that never thaws the milk before freeze-drying. We're FDA-registered, GMP-certified, and use a contact-free process to prevent contamination.
- Test in Small Batches: If you're considering freeze-drying, start with a small batch before committing your entire stash. While our data suggests that about 90% of mothers find freeze-drying helpful, it's important to note that roughly 10% may not see significant improvement in the lipase taste.
- Be Patient: Among those who find freeze-drying helpful, the mother may still detect the lipase taste/smell, but the baby may no longer mind it.
- Alternative Uses: Even if freeze-drying doesn't eliminate the lipase taste, the powder can be added to solid foods for a nutritional boost. The food's flavor will likely mask any remaining lipase taste.
A Note on Scalding
While scalding milk is sometimes suggested as a method for dealing with high lipase, we generally don't recommend it as a first-line solution. Scalding can destroy many important nutrients in the milk, potentially reducing its benefits for your baby. However, if other methods haven't worked and your baby is refusing to drink the milk, scalding might be considered as a last resort. Always consult with a lactation professional before making decisions about scalding your milk.
High Lipase in Breast Milk
High lipase in breast milk can be challenging, but it's important to remember that it doesn't affect the nutritional value of your milk. With proper management and solutions like freeze-drying, you can continue to provide your baby with the benefits of your breast milk, even if you're dealing with high lipase issues.
At Milkify, we're committed to helping mothers preserve their breast milk in the best possible way. If you're dealing with high lipase issues or have any questions about freeze-drying your breast milk, don't hesitate to reach out to us.
