Leptin in Baby Formula
Breastmilk is still best for babies. We all know that. For various reasons, however, some babies are given formula instead of breastmilk.
Babies who are breastfed are less likely to become obese later in life. Their chances of developing diabetes is also less. This is due to Leptin, a 16 kDa protein hormone that helps regulate energy intake and helps regulate appetite and metabolism. Simply said, it's a "fat hormone that turns off hunger in the brain".
Formula does not have Leptin.
The Metabolic Research Group in the Clore Laboratory at the University of Buckingham is looking into adding Leptin in infant formula and other baby foods to give formula fed babies the protection from obesity and diabetes which breastfed babies have the advantage of.
They have already "demonstrated that supplementing infant rats' diets with leptin means that they never get fat or develop diabetes". Leptin was also previously tested on human adults but the result showed that the hunger-quenching effect of Leptin can be resisted.
Mike Cawthorne, the head of Clore Laboratory, believes that despite the result of Leptin's test on human adults, providing leptin earlier enough could be more effective.
They have to find other ways (than testing human babies!) to prove this, though.