Research points to nutritionally charged infant formula

A study has been published by Chr. Hansen into human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) that examines the distribution of natural concentrations of the HMOs, with hopes being raised that the research could be applicable to a new, higher-nutrition infant formula.

HMOs are a kind of carbohydrate found in human breastmilk and are one of the primary nutritional differences between it and formula. There have been over 150 HMOs identified but only a handful of them are regularly added to infant formulas, with the vast majority never being used.

Whereas previous studies have looked at the exact quantities of HMO in milk, this one analysed their concentrations, which can vary according to a range of a mother’s personal factors such as their genetics, health, and environmental and geographical factors. The study looked at the five most prevalent HMOs in breastmilk with the analysis of this large dataset showing that HMOs are healthy for babies, even at very high concentrations.

The study may prove useful for the development of new infant formula products, as it will allow for them to have a HMO composition that more closely resembles that of breastmilk. As HMOs are involved in the babies’ healthy growth, including for functions such as brain and immune system development, formula produced with more of them may be healthier.

For current formulas, levels of the five HMOs assessed in the study are substantially below those found in breastmilk, suggesting that it may be possible to sharply increase their concentration to hopefully increase the nutritional power of formula. Last year a study found that milk made with these five most prevalent HMOs was safe for consumption in babies, suggesting the possibility of their widespread commercial use.

The study was published in Food and Chemical Toxicology and can be read online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2022.112877.

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