The present invention provides a combination of
Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, lacto- N-fucopentaose I (LNFP-I) and a HMO mixture for use in therapy by promoting the production of one or more beneficial metabolites selected from
uridine, adenine,
guanine, AMP, cAMP, 4-guanidinobutyric acid, p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid, acetyl-
carnitine and 3-methylxanthine in the
gastrointestinal tract of an infant or young child, wherein the HMO mixture consists of 2'- fucosyllactose (2FL), difucosyllactose (DFL), lacto-N-tetraose (LNT), 6'-sialyllactose (6SL), and 3'-sialyllactose (3SL), and optionally 3-fucosyllactose (3FL) and / or lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT).