Bile salt-stimulated lipase (or BSSL) is an equivalent enzyme found within breast milk.

[5] More than 95% of the fat present in human milk and in infant formulas is in the form of triacylglycerols (TG).

[6] In adults, TGs are thought to be broken down or hydrolyzed mainly by the colipase-dependent lipase (CDL) enzyme.

[6] Both BSDL and BSSL have a broad substrate specificity and, like CDL, are capable of hydrolyzing triacylglycerides (in addition to phospholipids, esters of cholesterol, and lipid-soluble vitamins).

This observation has led to the suggestion that BSDL produced by lactating mammary gland and present within milk, may compensate for the low levels of other TG-digesting enzymes and aid newborns in lipid absorption.