Urea is a dynamic and functional component of mammalian breast milk
Liisa Veerus, Haipeng Sun, Axel A. Almet, Erica R. Levin, Rachana Rao Battaje, Vibeke Secher Dam, Dareen Shah, Rachel Clerk, Brandon Chang, Melissa A. Woortman, Joyce E. Stuckey, Margot J. Shumaker, Yue Sandra Yin, Adrija Kundu, Meliza T. Talaue, , New Jersey Kids Study team
This study shows milk urea increases during lactation, is conserved across mammals, and supports infant gut microbiome establishment through urea-metabolizing bacteria.
bioRxiv · Oct 12, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology