Nov 1 2011 --- A collaborative study of Lacprodan MFGM-10 has provided the first clinical documentation of its ability to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea among infants.

With diarrhoea still a major cause of infant deaths worldwide, the results suggest that supplementation of infant food with the whey-based ingredient could be a key to reducing mortalities and improving infant health in general.

Arla Foods Ingredients joined forces with leading paediatric scientists from the University of California, Davis, USA and the institute for nutritional studies IIN in Lima, Peru, to study the effect of Lacprodan MFGM-10 on 499 six to 11-month-old Peruvian infants.

Every day for six months, the infants were fed a meal based on cornstarch and milk, supplemented either with 6g of protein from Lacprodan MFGM-10 or 6g of skim milk protein. The study revealed not only a clear reduction in the incidence of diarrhoea in the group fed Lacprodan MFGM-10, but also improved protection against the development of bloody diarrhoea.

“It is known that formula-fed infants experience more intestinal infections than breast-fed. In parts of the world where many mothers are unable to nourish their children by breastfeeding, diarrhoea is often prevalent due to the immature immune and digestive system of newborns,” says Pernille Frederiksen, Arla Foods Ingredients nutritionist.

“On behalf of the children at high risk of developing serious and life-threatening diarrhoea, we are very happy with the promising results of our trial.”

Lacprodan MFGM-10 is rich in proteins and lipids with documented health benefits, drawn from the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM).  The ingredient is part of a range specifically developed to resemble some of the beneficial effects of human milk.