Food supplement and use

Abstract

The invention relates to a food supplement containing vitamins and / or fats, in particular for the care of people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases in particular, wherein the food supplement is preferably in solid dosage form and comprises a thickening agent.

Description

[0001] Dietary supplements and uses

[0002] The invention relates to a vitamin-containing and / or fatty acid-containing food supplement in preferably solid dosage form.

[0003] The dietary supplement may contain at least one fat-soluble vitamin, preferably vitamin D and / or vitamin K, and / or at least one water-soluble vitamin, preferably folic acid. Alternatively or additionally, the dietary supplement may contain an omega-3 fatty acid, preferably docosahexaenoic acid and / or eicosapentaenoic acid.

[0004] Dietary supplements are intended to supplement the general diet. They are often used as dietary supplements for young children, athletes, or other people who require additional nutrients. Elderly and / or sick people, in particular, often rely on dietary supplements. Because dietary supplements are often offered in the form of capsules, lozenges, tablets, pills, effervescent tablets, or liquids, they are often refused, especially by young children or people with dementia.

[0005] Although dietary supplements contain a concentrate of nutrients and / or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect, important nutritional components are often missing from a specific product. Thus, many dietary supplements often contain little or no protein. Or dietary supplements contain protein but have little or no vitamins, such as folic acid. The invention further relates to the use of a dietary supplement according to the invention, as described and claimed below.

[0006] The object of the invention is to improve dietary supplements.

[0007] To achieve the stated object, the invention provides the features of claim 1. In particular, to achieve the stated object, the invention proposes that a dietary supplement of the type described above comprise a thickener. Thus, the consistency of the dietary supplement can be advantageously selected. The thickener can be, for example, proteins and / or polysaccharides.

[0008] In an advantageous embodiment, the dietary supplement can contain proteins. Additionally, it can be provided that the protein content of the dietary supplement is at least 5%. Thus, a dietary supplement with a high protein content can be advantageously available for protein intake. A high protein content is particularly advantageous when people who frequently refuse to eat need to be supplied with proteins.

[0009] In the context of the invention, proportions expressed as a percentage can be understood in particular as a mass fraction.

[0010] According to the invention, it can be provided that the proteins are of purely plant origin. Thus, a dietary supplement according to the invention can be produced from a purely plant-based source, so that vegetarians and / or vegans can also use a dietary supplement according to the invention for their diet. Thus, in an advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the dietary supplement is suitable for a vegetarian, in particular vegan, diet.

[0011] For process-economic reasons, the protein source can be animal and / or plant-based, so that a food supplement according to the invention can be produced flexibly.

[0012] A particularly advantageous feature of a dietary supplement according to the invention is the combination of a high protein content and the folic acid contained in the supplement. This allows the dietary supplement to serve as an additional and simultaneous supply of proteins and folic acid. Thus, at least these nutrients can be absorbed in one dosage form, which is particularly advantageous for people who frequently refuse to eat. This is particularly advantageous if the dietary supplement is offered in solid dosage form.

[0013] For example, the use of a thickener can provide a particularly appealing and preferably solid dosage form. It can be provided that the consistency of the food supplement according to the invention is not homogeneous. For example, in a dosage form of a food supplement according to the invention, a less solid core can be surrounded by a more solid shell layer. In any case, the invention has recognized that the proteins can be produced in an easily handled, appealing and preferably solid dosage form by using a thickener. In an advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the folic acid content is at least 40 μg per 100 g of food supplement. This advantageously means that a high proportion of the daily folic acid requirement can be absorbed with a relatively low intake of the food supplement.

[0014] The folic acid content is preferably at least 100 μg per 100 g of food supplement. This allows an even higher proportion of the daily folic acid requirement to be absorbed with a relatively low intake of the food supplement. This can be particularly advantageous if people who have a relatively low daily folic acid requirement consume 100 μg per 100 g of food supplement. This means that a large portion of the daily folic acid requirement can be covered by consuming just 100 g of food supplement.

[0015] The folic acid content is particularly preferably at least 200 μg per 100 g of the food supplement. This means that the daily folic acid requirement, particularly for an adult, can be at least approximately covered, which is particularly advantageous. A food supplement containing at least 200 μg per 100 g of the food supplement can be used particularly advantageously for folic acid intake in people, especially pregnant women, with a high folic acid requirement.

[0016] In an advantageous embodiment, the protein content can preferably be at least 20%. This allows a particularly high protein intake through the intake of the dietary supplement, which can be beneficial, for example, for the regeneration and growth or maintenance of a user's muscle mass.

[0017] Preferably, the protein content is at least 30%. This makes it particularly advantageous to supply the body with a large portion of its daily protein requirement through the intake of 100g of dietary supplement. The higher the protein content, the more positive the effect on maintaining muscle mass. Even a content of 10% can have demonstrably positive effects.

[0018] In an advantageous embodiment, the proteins may preferably consist of soy proteins. This is particularly advantageous if the dietary supplement is intended to be at least vegetarian. It may also be advantageous that a dietary supplement made from soy proteins can be produced inexpensively.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment, the dietary supplement may contain flavorings. This makes the dietary supplement particularly tasty, which can advantageously promote its absorption. A wide variety of flavorings can be processed into a dietary supplement, allowing a wide range of dietary supplement flavors to be produced.

[0020] Alternatively or additionally, the dietary supplement may contain minerals. Minerals are essential for life and cannot be produced by the human body itself. Thus, at least a large portion of daily mineral intake can be achieved through the intake of the dietary supplement, which is particularly beneficial.

[0021] Alternatively or additionally, the dietary supplement may contain vitamins. This allows the daily intake of vitamins to be achieved, at least in large part, through the intake of the dietary supplement. In addition to folic acid, all vitamins known to the person skilled in the art may be contained in the dietary supplement, either individually or in combination.

[0022] Alternatively or additionally, the dietary supplement may contain food coloring. This allows the dietary supplement to be presented in an attractive color, which can increase acceptance of the dietary supplement.

[0023] Alternatively or additionally, the dietary supplement may contain fruit acids and / or sweeteners, which can advantageously vary the taste of the supplement. This can further increase the acceptance of the dietary supplement, which can be particularly beneficial for people who frequently refuse to eat.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, the dietary supplement may contain preservatives. This can advantageously increase the shelf life of the dietary supplement.

[0025] In an advantageous embodiment, the dietary supplement can comprise a supplemental drink. The supplemental drink can preferably contain a high water content and / or be high in calories, which can promote water and / or calorie intake. A dietary supplement produced with a supplemental drink can have a particularly easy-to-absorb consistency, especially if the dietary supplement has a high protein content.

[0026] A supplemental food drink may alternatively or additionally contain flavorings and / or minerals and / or vitamins and / or food coloring and / or fruit acids and / or sweeteners and / or preservatives. The liquid content of the supplemental food drink makes the aforementioned components more soluble and absorbable.

[0027] In particular, it may be provided that a proportion of the

[0028] The nutritional supplement's content is at least 50%. This allows the intake of the nutritional supplement to provide the body with a high proportion of fluid in addition to proteins and folic acid. This is particularly advantageous if a user refuses to consume fluids.

[0029] Particularly preferably, the proportion of the supplemental drink in the food supplement can be at least 80%. This allows a particularly advantageous supply of a large amount of fluid to the body. Furthermore, it can be advantageous that proteins and / or folic acid, particularly if the proteins and / or folic acid are present in a high concentration, can be dissolved during the production of a food supplement.

[0030] In an advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the thickener is a naturally occurring, organic thickener. This means that a food supplement can be produced inexpensively, which is advantageous. In particular, a food supplement can be produced inexpensively if the thickener is preferably gelatin or agar-agar or locust bean gum. The thickener can also be, for example, starch, in particular corn or potato starch, and / or sago and / or pectin (E440) and / or guar gum (E412) and / or gum arabic (E414) and / or carrageenan (E407) and / or xanthan gum (E415) and / or alginic acid and / or alginates (E400-E405). The thickener can contain the substances mentioned in pure form or as a mixture. The thickener is particularly preferably a mixture of pectin and corn starch.Furthermore, these thickeners may serve as a source of fiber as described or claimed below.

[0031] Preferably, the thickeners are added in such a way as to achieve an IDDS I level (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative, http: / / iddsi.org / framework) between 5 and 6 (“minced & moist” to “soft&bite si zed”).

[0032] In an advantageous embodiment, the proportion of the thickener in the dietary supplement can preferably be between 7% and 10%. This allows the dietary supplement to be produced in a solid dosage form, which is particularly edible.

[0033] In particular, the thickener content can be between 7.5% and 8.5%. This allows a dietary supplement to have a particularly appealing consistency, allowing even people who normally refuse to eat to consume the supplement.

[0034] In an advantageous embodiment, the dietary supplement may comprise at least one secondary plant substance. This can optimize the production and / or taste of a dietary supplement.

[0035] In particular, the dietary supplement may comprise a fruit oil, particularly preferably a lemon oil. It has been shown that the use of fruit oils, especially lemon oil, results in a particularly tasty and fragrant dietary supplement, for example, containing folic acid, which can lead to increased absorption.

[0036] In an advantageous embodiment, the dietary supplement can comprise fats and / or fatty acids, preferably polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus, the dietary supplement can contribute to the absorption of preferably unsaturated fatty acids. As a result, a dietary supplement can provide a large portion of the macronutrients, i.e., in addition to proteins in particular, at least also fats, which are preferably unsaturated. This allows the user to preferably absorb macronutrients in one dosage product, so that the user can dispense with a multitude of dosage products such as different dietary supplements.

[0037] In particular, omega-3 fatty acids can be included in the food supplement, which means that omega-3 fatty acids can also be beneficially added to a person's diet.

[0038] In an advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the fat content is at least 3%. It can also be provided that the fat content is at least 5%.

[0039] These can, in particular, be fats formed at least partially from omega-3 fatty acids. A fat and / or fatty acid content in the dietary supplement can promote the breakdown and / or absorption of fat-soluble vitamins in particular. The dietary supplement can thus advantageously contain a combination of at least one fat-soluble vitamin and at least one fat and / or fatty acid.

[0040] In an advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the fatty acid content is at least 200 pg per 100 g of food supplement. This can be an omega-3 fatty acid content. Additionally, it can be provided that the fatty acid content is at least 1 g or even at least 3 g per 100 g of food supplement.

[0041] In an advantageous embodiment, at least one component of the dietary supplement can be an algae product. Algae can have a high protein content of up to 60% of the dry matter and thus provide a large proportion of protein cost-effectively for the production of the dietary supplement. Furthermore, algae, especially seaweed, can be used to supply iodine.

[0042] In particular, air-dried algae can be used, as this processing method can maintain a high protein content.

[0043] In particular, tablet-shaped algae products and / or algae powder can be used for the cost-effective production of a dietary supplement.

[0044] Preferably, the algae product is algae oil. Thus, the aforementioned unsaturated fatty acids, in particular the aforementioned omega-3 fatty acids, can preferably be added to the dietary supplement.

[0045] In an advantageous embodiment, the dietary supplement can contain water-soluble and / or water-insoluble fiber. Additionally, the dietary fiber can be beta-glucans. Thus, a dietary supplement can induce a feeling of satiety more quickly, which can be advantageous. In particular, the aforementioned fiber can be advantageous if the dietary supplement comprises fats and / or carbohydrates and / or minerals and / or if the dietary supplement, in particular, comprises a high proportion of one or more of the aforementioned supplemental liquid foods.

[0046] The food supplement may contain polysaccharides, for example as a thickener, fiber and / or as part of the supplementary drink.

[0047] In an advantageous embodiment, the dietary supplement may contain pharmaceutically active ingredients and / or pharmaceutically active components. This allows the dietary supplement to advantageously deliver pharmaceutically active ingredients and / or pharmaceutically active components to a user in a particularly attractive dosage form.

[0048] In an advantageous embodiment, the dietary supplement can be presented as a fruit gum or a fruit-coated tablet. This can make the dietary supplement particularly appealing, which can promote absorption of the dietary supplement. Likewise, a dosage form as a fruit gum or a fruit-coated tablet can also serve to ensure precise portioning, particularly when a user, for example, a person suffering from dementia, needs to have their food intake monitored.

[0049] In an advantageous embodiment, the dietary supplement in its dosage form can have at least one curved surface. Alternatively or additionally, the dietary supplement in its dosage form can have rounded edges. The dietary supplement can have a cylindrical shape. In this case, a cylindrical shape is also referred to if the cylinder has rounded edges.

[0050] In this way, the dosage form of the dietary supplement can be designed to be particularly appealing. The invention recognizes that a dosage form with edges and / or corners leads to a response to the dietary supplement by the target group, particularly patients suffering from dementia. In general, and especially for this target group, the provision of curved surfaces and / or rounded edges makes it easier to cut and / or swallow the dietary supplement.

[0051] In an advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that a color of the dietary supplement has a warm hue, in particular a high red and / or yellow component. Signal colors can be particularly advantageous, for example, red, yellow, and / or orange. Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the dietary supplement has a greatest emission intensity in the red to yellow spectral range when illuminated with daylight in the visible range.

[0052] The color can also be chosen to contrast with a typical, particularly white and / or whitish and / or pastel, environment. This makes it easy to ensure that the dietary supplement is easily recognizable from a distance of several meters and attracts attention.

[0053] This can be achieved, for example, by a visually non-transparent design.

[0054] For example, the warm color tone can correspond to a color temperature of below 3000 K or below 2000 K or below 1000 K.

[0055] For example, according to the RGB model, the color value can be above 570 nm, preferably 590 nm.

[0056] The dietary supplement can thus be designed to be particularly visually appealing. The invention recognizes that the target group, especially patients with dementia, are particularly responsive to dosage forms containing colors with a high proportion of red and / or yellow, particularly warning colors and / or food colors, and that they will absorb them independently.

[0057] In an advantageous embodiment it can be provided that the food supplement in its dosage form has an external dimension of between 1.5 cm and 4.0 cm, preferably between 2.0 cm and 2.5 cm, in at least one dimension. This can be the diameter of a cylinder, for example. Alternatively or additionally it can be provided that the food supplement in its dosage form has an external dimension of between 0.5 cm and 2.0 cm, preferably between 0.8 cm and 1.2 cm, in at least one, preferably a further, dimension. This can be the height of a cylinder, for example. The food supplement in its dosage form can therefore have a size that can be gripped particularly well and / or does not trigger the feeling of a foreign body in the mouth.The invention has recognized that the target group, in particular patients suffering from dementia, can easily take a food supplement of the mentioned size and does not react negatively even after oral intake.

[0058] In an advantageous embodiment, the dietary supplement can be divided without the need for aids and / or without tools. In addition, the dietary supplement can be divided by crushing it between the tongue and palate.

[0059] This provides a nutritional supplement that can be easily broken down in the mouth and then swallowed without chewing. This is especially beneficial for patients who lack teeth for chewing.

[0060] By advantageously selecting the above-mentioned properties of the dietary supplement, such as taste, smell, size, shape, color, and feel, the nutritional-psychological properties of the dietary supplement, particularly in its dosage form, can be selected so that the target group, especially patients with dementia, finds the dietary supplement appealing and / or absorbs it independently. Depending on the target group, different nutritional-psychological properties can be selected. For example, a group of oncology patients may prefer a different dosage form of the dietary supplement than a group of patients with dementia.

[0061] For example, odorants can be added and / or the ingredients can be adjusted to achieve an odor of more than 100 Ol f. Ol f is known as a unit of measurement for evaluating the strength of an odor source.

[0062] An odor quality can be defined, for example, according to the aroma wheel of the DLG (German Agricultural Society) in the fruity range, particularly citrus, preferably lemon and / or orange and / or stone fruit and / or berries and / or exotic, and / or floral, particularly sweet, preferably honey, and / or spicy, particularly sweet, preferably vanilla and / or aniseed and / or bitter almonds, marzipan, and / or cloves and / or cinnamon, and / or rusty, particularly sweet, preferably caramel, and / or nutty, preferably earthy, cocoa and / or hazelnut. In general, a sweet odor quality is preferred in order to encourage ingestion.

[0063] A preferred application of the invention provides that a dietary supplement according to the invention, in particular as described above or according to one of the claims directed to a dietary supplement, is used to care for people with particular neurodegenerative and / or oncological diseases. A further preferred application of the invention provides that a dietary supplement according to the invention, in particular as described above or according to one of the claims directed to a dietary supplement, is used to care for people with malnutrition.

[0064] In one embodiment, an inventive

[0065] Dietary supplements in the form of fruit gum (alternatively, fruit dragees) can be used to at least supplement the diet of dementia patients. The dietary supplement contains at least one fat-soluble vitamin, namely vitamin D, and also folic acid. The dietary supplement contains an omega-3 fatty acid, namely docosahexaenoic acid. One embodiment may also contain eicosapentaenoic acid or a mixture of several fatty acids. The embodiment includes a thickener.

[0066] The invention has recognized that at least dementia sufferers preferentially consume the dietary supplement rather than refuse it due to the preferably solid dosage form as an edible gum, in particular fruit gum (alternatively as an edible coated tablet, in particular fruit coated tablets). The dietary supplement, as in the described exemplary embodiment, can be designed in a particularly attractive manner, since the fruit gum (or fruit coated tablet) can be colored in various ways. The exemplary embodiment is cylindrical with rounded edges and has a diameter of 2.2 cm and a height of 1.0 cm. Furthermore, the dietary supplement can be divided without the need for any aids or tools by crushing it between the tongue and palate.

[0067] For example, an edible gum can be characterized by a consistency similar to fruit gum, without necessarily containing any fruit. An edible gum can also be shaped like a chewing gum or a gummy bear.

[0068] For example, an edible dragee can be characterized by a consistency like a fruit dragee without necessarily containing any fruit.

[0069] Due to the flavorings used in the example, the food supplement is particularly tasty and fragrant, especially due to the lemon smell of the processed lemon oil.

[0070] The application example has a high protein content, at least 5% of the total mass of the dietary supplement. Depending on the product line of the dietary supplement, a specific product version of the dietary supplement may contain a different proportion of the total protein content, for example, at least 10%, at least 20%, or at least 30%. Even a proportion of 10% can demonstrably have a positive effect on maintaining muscle mass.

[0071] The fat content of the dietary supplement is at least 3%, namely at least 5%, and is made up of fats with polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. The fats may also contain other fatty acids, such as saturated or unsaturated fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acid content is at least 200 pg per 100 g of the dietary supplement.

[0072] Advantageously, a product line of a folic acid-containing dietary supplement, preferably as described above or claimed below, wherein the folic acid content is 100 pg per 100 g of dietary supplement, can be characterized in that different products of the product line have different protein contents, wherein the protein content of each folic acid-containing dietary supplement of the product line is at least 10%. Thus, a product line of the folic acid-containing dietary supplement can be produced that meets the diverse needs of users with regard to their protein supplementation.

[0073] An alternative product line labeled as described above may also have a folic acid content per 100 g of food supplement that is lower or higher than 100 pg. Preferably, such a product line may have folic acid-containing food supplements with a folic acid content of 200 pg per 100 g of food supplement.

[0074] Thus, a folic acid-containing dietary supplement can be used in particular for the intake of proteins and folic acid. The dietary supplement described in the exemplary embodiment is also suitable for fluid intake, since the dietary supplement comprises a proportion of supplemental drink of at least 50%. At least this supplemental drink contains macronutrients, i.e., at least fats and carbohydrates, and micronutrients such as vitamins, preferably vitamins B6 and B9, and minerals. Thus, the dietary supplement described in the exemplary embodiment is rich in macronutrients and micronutrients.

[0075] Thus, at least the food described in the example is suitable for supplementing the diet of people with dementia. Depending on the calorie needs of the individual, especially those with dementia, the intake of one or more food supplements can at least partially or completely replace the daily nutrient intake.

[0076] The invention thus generally proposes a vitamin-containing and / or fatty acid-containing food supplement, in particular for the care of people with, in particular, neurodegenerative diseases, wherein the food supplement is preferably in solid dosage form and comprises a thickener.

Claims

Claims: A food supplement containing vitamins, in particular at least one fat-soluble vitamin, preferably vitamin D and / or vitamin K, and / or at least one water-soluble vitamin, preferably folic acid, and / or fatty acids, in particular an omega-3 fatty acid, preferably docosahexaenoic acid and / or eicosapentaenoic acid, in a preferably solid dosage form, comprising a thickening agent. A food supplement according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the food supplement contains proteins, in particular wherein the protein content of the food supplement is at least 5%. A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the folic acid content is at least 40 pg, preferably at least 100 pg, most preferably at least 200 pg per 100 g of food supplement.A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the protein content is preferably at least 10% or at least 20%, and most preferably at least 30%. A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the proteins preferably consist of So α-proteins. A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food supplement is suitable for a vegetarian diet. A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food supplement contains flavorings and / or minerals and / or vitamins and / or food coloring and / or fruit acids and / or sweeteners and / or preservatives. A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food supplement comprises a nutritional supplement, in particular wherein the nutritional supplement comprises at least 50%, and particularly preferably at least 80%, of the food supplement. A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickening agent is a naturally occurring, organic thickening agent, preferably gelatin and / or agar-agar. (E406) and / or locust bean gum (E410) and / or starch, in particular maize or potato starch, and / or sago and / or pectin (E440) and / or guar gum (E412) and / or gum arabic (E414) and / or carrageenan (E407) and / or xanthan gum (E415) and / or alginic acid and alginates (E400-E405), is or contains, and / or that an IDDSI level is between 5 and 6. A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the proportion of the thickening agent in the food supplement is preferably between 7% and 10%, most preferably between 7.5% and 8.5%. A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims. Claims, characterized in that the food supplement comprises at least one secondary plant compound, in particular wherein the food supplement comprises a fruit oil, particularly preferably a lemon oil. Food supplement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food supplement comprises fats and / or fatty acids, preferably polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular omega-3 fatty acids. Food supplement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a fat content is at least 3%, in particular at least 5%. Food supplement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a fatty acid content, in particular omega-3 fatty acid content, is at least 200 pg, preferably at least 1 g, particularly preferably at least 3 g per 100 g of food supplement.A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one component of the food supplement is an algae product, preferably an algae oil. A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food supplement contains water-soluble and / or water-insoluble dietary fiber, in particular beta-glucans. A food supplement according to any of the preceding claims. Claims, characterized in that the dietary supplement contains pharmaceutical active ingredients and / or pharmaceutically active components. A dietary supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by a dosage form as edible gum, in particular fruit gum, or as an edible dragee, in particular fruit dragee. A dietary supplement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dietary supplement in its dosage form has at least one curved surface and / or edges provided with rounding, in particular wherein the dietary supplement in its dosage form has a cylindrical shape.A dietary supplement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dietary supplement has a high red and / or yellow component in its color, and / or that the dietary supplement exhibits the greatest emission intensity in the red to yellow spectral range under daylight illumination in the visible range, and / or that a color with a color temperature below 3000 K and / or with a wavelength above 560 nm is selected. A dietary supplement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dietary supplement, in its dosage form, has an outer dimension between 1.5 cm and 4.0 cm, preferably between 2.0 cm and 2.5 cm, in at least one, preferably further, dimension, an outer dimension between 0.5 cm and 2.0 cm, preferably between 0.8 cm and 1.2 cm. A food supplement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food supplement in its dosage form is free of aids and / or tools, in particular by Crushing between tongue and palate, it is divisible. Use of a food supplement, particularly one claimed according to one of the preceding claims, for the supply of people with, in particular, neurodegenerative and / or oncological diseases and / or malnutrition.