The Study
Loss of antioxidant function in donor human milk after holder pasteurization: a pilot study
This study tested milk in a lab to see what happens when you heat it, like making soup. It found that some of the milk's protective parts got weaker after heating. But it didn't feed the milk to any babies or check if babies got sick — so we don't know if this matters for real babies.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
When donor breast milk is heated to kill germs, some of its natural defenses against cell damage get weaker — but not all of them.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 57 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — premature babies rely on these antioxidants to fight dangerous inflammation and tissue damage; losing them could matter for their health.
- 2Heating reduced DPPH antioxidant power by 18.4%, superoxide by 9.1%, and ferricyanide reduction by 17.4%.
- 3Hydroxyl radical defense and iron binding stayed the same.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Nutrition
Year
2026
Authors
Andrea Leong, Cristiane Mori, C. Pillidge, Harsharn Gill
Related Content
Claims (6)
Different samples of pasteurized human milk show varying levels of antioxidant activity, and these differences are linked to variations in the mothers' lactation stage, diet, genetics, and health status.
Holder pasteurization decreases some antioxidant functions in donor human milk, such as DPPH scavenging, superoxide scavenging, and ferricyanide reduction, but does not reduce hydroxyl scavenging and iron chelation.
Heating human milk at 62.5°C for 30 minutes reduces its ability to neutralize certain free radicals by specific percentages, as measured in laboratory tests, while not affecting other antioxidant functions.
Holder pasteurization does not reduce the ability of donor human milk to neutralize hydroxyl radicals or bind iron, based on laboratory tests with eight samples.
Holder pasteurization decreases the antioxidant capacity of donor human milk by 17.4% due to heat-induced changes in proteins and small molecules like vitamins and peptides.
Pasteurization changes the structure of proteins in milk, and these changes trigger inflammation in some people.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.