Food containing prolactin

A method of enhancing small intestinal growth, small intestinal functional maturation and/or calcium absorption across intestinal epithelial membranes enhancing gut maturation, and/or stimulating mitosis in T lymphocytes, and/or increasing rate of weight gain, and/or improving the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), and/or reducing incidence of diarrhea and/or other gastric disorders and/or increasing the life expectancy of a subject, the method comprising:

• providing the subject with a nutritional composition, the composition comprising prolactin identical or similar or analogous to prolactin found in a natural food source and at least one protective layer, and releasing said prolactin from the composition in said subject as a result of an environmental change.

A method of enhancing small intestinal growth, small intestinal functional maturation and/or calcium absorption across intestinal epithelial membranes enhancing gut maturation, and/or stimulating mitosis in T lymphocytes, and/or increasing rate of weight gain, and/or improving the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), and/or reducing incidence of diarrhea and/or other gastric disorders and/or increasing the life expectancy of a subject, the method comprising:

• providing the subject with a supplemented nutritional food or feed or drink comprising nutritional food and a prolactin composition, the prolactin composition comprising prolactin identical or similar or analogous to prolactin found in a natural food source, and at least one protective layer, wherein release of said prolactin from the composition in said subject is the result of an environmental change.