Title: A synbiotic mixture of scGOS/lcFOS and Bifidobacterium breve M-16V increases faecal Bifidobacterium in healthy young children
| Authors: | Kosuwon P, Lao-Araya M, Uthaisangsook S, Lay C, Bindels J, Knol J, Chatchatee P. |
| Published: | 2018 |
| Journal: | Beneficial Microbes |
Recent study has shown that our gut microbiome is still being shaped throughout toddlerhood. The plasticity of the toddler gut microbiota indicates that nutritional modulation beyond infancy could potentially impact its maturation.
This study was conducted in Thailand (also known as the “Land of Smiles”) to investigate the effect of a young child formula (YCF) supplemented with prebiotics scGOS/lcFOS and probiotics Bifidobacterium breve M-16V on the development of the faecal microbiota in healthy young children aged 1 to 3 years.
It demonstrated that the young child formula (YCF) supplemented with short chain galactooligosaccharides & long chain fructooligosaccharides (scGOS/lcFOS, ratio 9:1) and Bifidobacterium breve M-16V positively influences the development of the faecal microbiota in healthy toddlers by supporting higher levels of Bifidobacterium.
The synbiotic supplementation is also accompanied with a more acidic intestinal milieu and softer stools.
The concept of microbial resilience during development has been recently proposed to have a key role in health and disease. Bifidobacterium has been depicted as an important childhood, pre-adolescent and adolescent host microbial partner and most likely have an influential role in supporting the healthy development of the host.
The putative contribution of Bifidobacterium in shaping a resilient microbiota during development deserves further investigation.
Download the study summary and key results.
The full article can be accessed here.