Cereal-based Infant Nutrition with Fibre

Abstract

Cereal-based semi-liquid and / or semi-solid compositions suitable for supporting the transition period wherein the infant changes from a diet consisting of breast milk or liquid infant formula to solid adult foods, comprising uronic acid carbohydrates with a degree of polymerisation (DP) between 10 and 300 and also uses thereof are disclosed.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to the field of spoonable cereal-based infant nutrition.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Fibres are of significant importance for a healthy nutrition. Some fibres have been described to improve bowel habit, intestinal flora, and gut barrier and prevent diarrhea or intestinal infections. Furthermore, oral intake of fibres increases satiety and blunts blood glucose fluctuations.[0003]Infants exclusively receiving breast milk consume fibres in the form of soluble, non-digestible oligosaccharides. Breast milk comprises, on average, about 10 g neutral oligosaccharides per litre and 1 g acidic oligosaccharides per litre.[0004]The adult diet includes a mixture of fibres, comprising soluble non-starch polysaccharides (including uronic acid carbohydrates), insoluble non-starch polysaccharides, non-digestible oligosaccharides, and resistant starch. The recommended fibre intake for an adult is about 30 g per day.[0005]Upon the transitio...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The present nutritional composition is adapted to meet the requirements of infants in the transition phase by providing a combination of a cereal component, an intermediate concentration of fibres and uronic acid carbohydrates with a degree of polymerisation (DP) of 10 to 300 monosaccharide units. A DP of 10 to 300 monosaccharide units is also herein referred to as medium, medium DP or medium chain carbohydrate. This DP is intermediate between the major acidic oligosaccharides found in human breast milk having a DP below 10, and the native, high DP pectin as found in the mature human nutrition, e.g. in the cell walls of vegetables and fruits, generally having a DP above 300. The present uronic acid carbohydrate with an intermediate DP has intermediate effects regarding the anti-pathogenic and bifidogenic effects of human milk acidic oligosaccharides and the blood glucose and satiety regulating effects of native pectin.

[0011]By administering the present cereal-based nutritional composition, gastrointestinal discomfort, such as bloating, abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea and constipation is avoided. At the same time, the present composition provides the advantages of fibres available in breast milk (such as anti-pathogenic and bifidogenic effects) and the advantages of fibres present in the adult diet (such as blood glucose and satiety regulating effects). It was found by the inventors that the cereal based nutrition of the present invention comprising a relatively small amount of fibre, attenuated blood glucose levels, despite the presence of a high concentration of glucose containing digestible carbohydrates.

Problems solved by technology

Solid food is still inappropriate for infants changing from breast milk or infant (liquid) formula, because of the infant's lack of teeth and its poor swallowing reflex.

This is of utmost importance because these products usually already have a high viscosity and a further increase could result in an undesirable product.

Images