Dietary nucleotides benefit infant health, says expert

As one of the leading companies in healthcare and child nutrition, Abbott Philippines recently invited Prof. Angel Gil of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the University of Granada to give a talk on the benefits of dietary nucleotides on infant health.

In his talk, Gil discussed how dietary nucleotides are invaluable for infants since they positively influence lipid metabolism, immunity, and tissue growth, development and repair.

He recommended that parents ensure that their baby’s diet contains the right amount of nucleotides as rapidly proliferating tissues, such as the immune system or the intestine are not able to fully satisfy the needs of cell nucleotides exclusively by de novo synthesis. They preferentially utilize the salvage pathway recovering nucleotides and nucleobases from blood and diet.

Nucleotides are found in foods like meat, fish and milk. Human milk contains about 72 mg per liter of total potentially available nucleo­tides, which are readily digested and absorbed within the proximal small intestine.

Giving babies infant formulas enhanced with nucleotides is another way to ensure that they get the right amount of nucleotides at the early stages of his life.

“Nucleotides added to infant formulas in amounts similar to those found in human milk enhance the humoral immune response, modulate immune cell development and decrease the incidence and duration of diarrhea in early infancy,” said Gil.

When asked whether it was more important to have the right level of nucleotides or to have as many kinds of nucleotides, Gil said, “Nucleotide supplemented formula at 72 mg per liter was associated with better antibody response to Hib, diptheria toxoid, OPV and fewer episodes of diarrhea. This is also the level found in breast milk.”

He also briefly discussed the role of prebiotic and probiotics in infant formulas, saying that while prebiotic fortification is good for infants and children, infants already had high levels of probiotics and so it is not recommended for children six months and below as their gut has yet to mature. It may even have detrimental effect to children since this may go straight to their blood and cause sepsis.

Proving true to its promise of “turning science into caring,” the sponsorship seeks to provide the audience with the latest research to help them pursue healthier lifestyle for themselves and their children.