Marc Joseph Nutrition - Blog

Nestle appears to be developing an infant formula that will include both probiotics (bacteria that help to promote a healthy gut flora) and prebiotics (substances that help to feed these bacteria and promote their growth).

Researchers just completed a study, published in the journal Nutrition, using a formula containing both pro- and pre-biotics. The probiotic used was a strain of bifidobacterium (often found in large numbers in infant digestive tracts), and the prebiotics used were galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides.

They found that:

Infants in the experimental [formula + pro/pre-biotics] group had fewer incidences of constipation and had stool characteristics that suggest that the experimental formula was tolerated well. Furthermore, these infants showed a trend toward fewer respiratory tract infections.

Infants on the experimental formula also experienced a slight increase in stool frequency, but that is what is usually seen in breastfed infants.

Importantly, the researchers found no significant differences in weight gain, height, or head circumference between the pre/pro-biotics formula and control group formula groups in the study.

Of course, breast milk is preferred over formula for many reasons, including*:

1. Provides hormones that promote physiological development.
2. Provides essential fatty acids that improve cognitive and vision development - e.g., docosahexanoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid (ARA). These fatty acids have been added to some formulas.
3. Provides immunoglobuins and other protective factors that protect against infections - e.g., immunoglobulins, colustrum, probiotics, lactoferrin, and more.
4. Possibly protects against some chronic diseases later in life - e.g., type 1 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, etc.
5. Protects against food allergies - lower incidence of allergic reactions - e.g., asthma, recurrent wheezing, skin rash, eczema, etc.
6. Intimate feeding relationship promotes attachment to and affective interaction with the mother. Encourages socialization and positive feeding behavior.

But, for those people who can’t breastfeed their infants, it’s good to see that manufacturers are trying to improve their products to encourage better digestive and overall health in infants.

*You can read more about the advantages of breastfeeding, with references to medical studies, at this site.

Here’s an interesting article discussing the potential role that microbes (bacteria, viruses, etc.) may play in helping to cause obesity.

Trying to identify any potential contributing factors to obesity is an important goal. With more than 30 percent of the U.S. population obese, and the risk of premature death from all causes 50 to 100 percent greater compared to individuals of normal weight, the stakes are high.

The article discusses the importance of a balanced gut flora (the trillions of microbes that inhabit our gastrointestinal tracts) and the many important functions that they perform, e.g.:

• producing vitamins
• digesting plant fibers
• extracting calories from carbohydrates and fats
• metabolizing cholesterol and bile acids

The authors note how different ratios of different bacteria may play a role in determining how likely someone is to gain fat.

The article goes on to discuss the potential roles of viruses. It notes that a certain virus previously thought to only infect chickens may, when it infects human, lead to greater weight gain (and, surprisingly, lower cholesterol and triglycerides). The article mentions other viruses as well, such as those that may affect the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates appetite.

The research is clearly preliminary, but it’s worth checking out. Whatever the outcome, digestive health is certainly key in maintaining good overall health.