Despite the presence of environmental chemicals in human milk, breastfeeding is still best.

It was only a matter of time: before the countless chemicals humanity dumped (and continues to dump) on the earth made their way into mothers’ breastmilk; in the past mothers turned to formula, amid concerns that the contamination meant illness for their infants.

It’s a fair worry—who doesn’t want the best for their baby?—but according to a new, independent scientific review published in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine, it’s a worry that is unfounded.

Point blank from the introduction, the authors state that “the benefits to the infant from breastfeeding outweigh potential risks associated with environmental chemical exposures associated with breastfeeding.”

The review came about because researchers witnessed an uptick in concerns being expressed by parents and the need for healthcare providers to respond to those concerns.

There have been reports of subtle effects on infants associated with chemicals in breastmilk but there has never a study on dioxins in breastmilk. Now there is, and “the essential conclusion for healthcare providers and new parents,” the authors conclude, “is that in studies of breastfed versus formula-fed infants across time, including times when levels of environmental chemicals such as dioxins were higher, beneficial effects associated with breastfeeding have been found. The current evidence does not support altering the World Health Organization recommendations promoting and supporting breastfeeding.”

What are dioxins? And how do they get into human milk? Dioxins are a group of compounds that are largely by-products of industrial waste and incineration. They find their way into humans through contaminated foods, most often meat, dairy products, fish, and shellfish. Dioxins accumulate in the fatty tissues, where they can persist for months or years. Just as adults become contaminated through eating dioxin-containing foods, infants are exposed through their food, human milk.

Dioxins are considered ubiquitous in modern society and are largely unavoidable. In this newfound era of eco-consciousness, however, more governments are beginning to enact stricter standards on food products in regards to dioxin levels. And though there is no evidence to support a need to limit breastfeeding or a breastfeeding mother’s diet to ward off infant exposure, restricting fat in the diet will help to lower dioxin levels.

If going vegan isn’t an option, experts suggest choosing lean cuts of meat and poultry, trimming as much fat as possible, and sticking with low-fat dairy products. And above all else, they say, continue to breastfeed.