Exposure to synbiotics in early life helps achieve long-lasting beneficial and protective metabolic effects.
Synbiotics are a combination of pre- and probiotics that work synergistically. They promote the development of a resilient immune system1. Breast milk contains prebiotic oligosaccharides (HMO*) and beneficial bacteria that stimulate the immune system2. Breast milk probiotics work in synergy with prebiotic HMO* and naturally restore the balance of the gut microbiota, supporting the immune system (synbiotic effect)2.
Danone Nutricia Research has developed a specific, synbiotic combination that acts synergistically, not only to resolve allergy symptoms in infants3-5 but also to restore the composition of the gut microbiota to reflect that of healthy breastfed infants5,6.
Synbiotics support healthy gut development
Clinical studies show that supplementing infant formula with synbiotics (prebiotic scGOS/lcFOS** and probiotic B. breve M-16V) compensates the bifidobacteria colonization in cesarean-section delivered infants. Infants in the synbiotic group also showed a lower pH and higher acetate levels in their stool samples compared to the control group during the early days of life. This indicates that synbiotics support healthy gut development in infants delivered by cesarean section7,8.
Recent data shows that it is safe and suitable for the use in the dietary management of CMA*** and that, after eight weeks of use, it results in a significantly higher percentage of fecal bifidobacteria compared to standard amino acid formula, without synbiotics. In addition, fecal bifidobacteria levels in infants using an amino acid formula with synbiotics are closer to levels seen in age-matched healthy subjects9.
That’s why exposure to synbiotics in early life is relevant for achieving long-lasting beneficial and protective metabolic effects7-9.
*HMO: Human milk oligosaccharides
**scGOS/lcFOS (9:1): short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides / long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides
***CMA: Cow’s milk allergy
References
- Fujimura, Kei E., et al. “Role of the gut microbiota in defining human health.” Expert review of anti-infective therapy 8.4 (2010): 435-454.
- Scholtens, Petra AMJ, et al. “The early settlers: intestinal microbiology in early life.” Annual review of food science and technology 3 (2012): 425-447.
- Harvey, Bryan M., et al. “Effects on growth and tolerance and hypoallergenicity of an amino acid–based formula with synbiotics.” Pediatric research 75.2 (2014): 343.
- Burks, A. Wesley, et al. “Synbiotics‐supplemented amino acid‐based formula supports adequate growth in cow’s milk allergic infants.” Pediatric Allergy and Immunology 26.4 (2015): 316-322.
- Michaelis, L.W., et al. Allergy, EAACI 2016 abstract book, 2016. 71(S102): p. 3-94
- Haahtela, Tari, et al. “The biodiversity hypothesis and allergic disease: world allergy organization position statement.” World Allergy Organization Journal 6.1 (2013): 1.
- Wopereis, Harm, et al. “The first thousand days–intestinal microbiology of early life: establishing a symbiosis.” Pediatric Allergy and Immunology 25.5 (2014): 428-438.
- Chua, Mei Chien, et al. “Effect of synbiotic on the gut microbiota of cesarean delivered infants: a randomized, double-blind, multicenter study.” Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition 65.1 (2017): 102-106.
- Candy, David CA, et al. “A synbiotic-containing amino-acid-based formula improves gut microbiota in non-IgE-mediated allergic infants.” Pediatric research 83.3 (2018): 677.
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