According to Christides T et al.’s study, adding vitamin C and prebiotics (scGOS/lcFOS*) to infant formulas increases iron absorption.
CONTEXT AND METHOD OF THE STUDY
This in vitro study by Christides T et al. evaluates the iron bioavailability of four fortified young child formula (YCF) containing similar quantities of iron, but variable quantities of prebiotics (fructo- and galacto-oligosaccharides; respectively FOS and GOS) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
| Nutrients (mg/100 ml) unless stated otherwise | YCF Sample | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YCF A | YCF B | YCF C | YCF D | |
| Ascorbic acid (Vit C) | 15 | 15 | 10 | 12 |
| Iron | 1,2 (Feso4) | 1,2 (Fe2 lactate) | 1,1 (Feso4) | 1,2 (Feso4) |
| FOS | 120 | Not indicated | 0 | 0 |
| GOS | 1080 | Not indicated | 500 | 0 |
| Total FOS and GOS | 1200 | 1200 | N/A | 0 |
| Fibre (g/100ml) | 0,8 | 0,8 | 0,5 | 0 |
RESULTS
- The A and B young child formulas, containing higher concentrations of prebiotics and vitamin C, have the highest iron bioavailability.
- The GOS/FOS 9:1 (YCF A) mix increases iron absorption by 43% versus young child formula C which only contains 500 mg/100mL of GOS and 62% versus young child formula D without prebiotics.
- Adding prebiotics to young child formula D, which does not contain them, increases the bioavailability of iron
In conclusion, infant formulas enriched with prebiotics (scGOS/lcFOS*) represent an effective nutritional strategy to optimize iron absorption and improve digestive tolerance in non-breastfed infants.
Find how prebiotics (scGOS/lcFOS*) increase iron absorption:
References
*scGOS/lcFOS: short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides.
- Christides T et al. In vitro assessment of iron availability from commercial young child formula supplemented with prebiotics. Eur J Nutr 2018. DOI 10.1007/s00394-016-1353-3.
BA20-464