13 Healthy-eating policy is already taking hold in Brazil, where standards are in place to assure that unprocessed and locally sourced foods will be served in schools, but major challenges in controlling junk food advertising remain.20 For

most of the world, standards for fruit and vegetable consumption are far from being met. The recent work of Valmórbida & Vitolo suggests that a key element toward achieving our dietary goals will be to get an early start. The author declares no conflicts of interest. “
“Alpha-tocopherol, the main component of a group of compounds known as vitamin E, is a powerful antioxidant and the main fat-soluble Ipilimumab concentration vitamin responsible for protecting

cell membranes against peroxidation. As a lipophilic compound, it accumulates in circulating lipoproteins, cell membranes, and fatty deposits, reacting with free radicals and molecular oxygen, protecting polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and lipoproteins from peroxidation.1 and 2 This vitamin is extremely important in the early stages of life, from conception to postnatal development. During pregnancy, placental transfer of vitamin E to the fetus is limited, making breast milk the only source of this nutrient for infants that are exclusively breastfed. This intake represents an important way to supply the newborn with an essential antioxidant protection and stimulate immune system development.3 Considering the importance of vitamin E for the newborn, 17-AAG many studies aimed to determine the levels of alpha-tocopherol in breast milk. However, the Amylase literature presents conflicting data regarding this level, such as those found by Schweigert et al.4 in German women, who observed alpha-tocopherol levels in the colostrum that were two-fold higher than those found in Bangladeshi

women.5 These differences may be due to some factors that can cause changes in the concentration of alpha-tocopherol in milk. Nascimento and Issler6 highlight that changes in the nutritional composition of milk depend on the stage of lactation, time of the day, time since last meal, nutrition, maternal age, gestational age of the newborn, and other individual maternal aspects. Studies on the association of variables with alpha-tocopherol content in human milk have been performed. Therefore, considering the importance of vitamin E and the breast milk for the newborn and the different findings in the literature about this subject, this review aimed to systematize information on the levels of alpha-tocopherol in human milk and variables associated with this concentration, in order to clarify which factors influence the composition of vitamin E in milk.