The brain’s early growth spurt

In addition, several lipid components of the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), such as phospholipids, sphingolipids and gangliosides, have been shown to play a supporting role in brain development

Timby, N., Domellöf, E., Hernell, O., Lönnerdal, B., & Domellöf, M. (2014). Neurodevelopment, nutrition, and growth until 12 mo of age in infants fed a low-energy, low-proteinformula supplemented with bovine milk fat globule membranes: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.064295



. MFGM is a complex layer that surrounds milk fat globules secreted from milk-producing cells in humans and other mammals. The provision of nutritional lipids is not the only way nutrition supports the development of the infant brain. Indirectly too, child cognitive development is influenced by nutrition via the gut-brain axis, the various pathways of communication between the microbial species living in the gut, and the human brain

Ratsika, A., Codagnone, M. C., O’mahony, S., Stanton, C., & Cryan, J. F. (2021). Priming for life: Early life nutrition and the microbiota-gut-brain axis. In Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020423



. Today, we are learning more and more about the connection between the gut microbiota composition and activity and healthy brain development

Ratsika, A., Codagnone, M. C., O’mahony, S., Stanton, C., & Cryan, J. F. (2021). Priming for life: Early life nutrition and the microbiota-gut-brain axis. In Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020423



. Alterations in gut bacterial composition during early life have been correlated with behaviours associated with autism spectrum disorders

Li, F., Wu, S. S., Berseth, C. L., Harris, C. L., Richards, J. D., Wampler, J. L., Zhuang, W., Cleghorn, G., Rudolph, C. D., Liu, B., Shaddy, D. J., & Colombo, J. (2019). Improved Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Associated with Bovine Milk Fat Globule Membrane and Lactoferrin in Infant Formula: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Journal of Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.08.030



. Disruption of the gut microbiota by antibiotic exposure in early life has also been associated with a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression later on

Lavebratt, C., Yang, L.L., Giacobini, M. et al. Early exposure to antibiotic drugs and risk for psychiatric disorders: a population-based study. Transl Psychiatry 9, 317 (2019).



. So how can infant milk formula brands leverage the gut-brain axis for potential cognitive benefits?

Supporting brain development with our ingredient portfolio

Nutritional lipids – such as DHA, ARA and components of the MFGM – have been shown to support cognitive development in early life. DHA and ARA are well-known for their role in brain development

Innis, S. M. (2008). Dietary omega 3 fatty acids and the developing brain. In Brain Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2008.08.078
Koletzko, B., Boey, C. C. M., Campoy, C., Carlson, S. E., Chang, N., Guillermo-Tuazon, M. A., Joshi, S., Prell, C., Quak, S. H., Sjarif, D. R., Su, Y., Supapannachart, S., Yamashiro, Y., & Osendarp, S. J. M. (2014). Current information and asian perspectives on long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in pregnancy, lactation, and infancy: Systematic review and practice recommendations from an early nutrition academy workshop. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1159/000365767
Koletzko, B., Bergmann, K., Thomas Brenna, J., Calder, P. C., Campoy, C., Clandinin, M. T., Colombo, J., Daly, M., Decsi, T., Demmelmair, H., Domellöf, M., Fidlermis, N., Gonzalez-Casanova, I., Van Goudoever, J. B., Hadjipanayis, A., Hernell, O., Lapillonne, A., Mader, S., Martin, C. R., … Carlson, S. E. (2020). Should formula for infants provide arachidonic acid along with DHA? A position paper of the European Academy of Paediatrics and the Child Health Foundation. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz252



, while clinical studies have shown that infant milk formula supplemented with MFGM can improve cognitive performance in infants

Timby, N., Domellöf, E., Hernell, O., Lönnerdal, B., & Domellöf, M. (2014). Neurodevelopment, nutrition, and growth until 12 mo of age in infants fed a low-energy, low-proteinformula supplemented with bovine milk fat globule membranes: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.064295
Li, F., Wu, S. S., Berseth, C. L., Harris, C. L., Richards, J. D., Wampler, J. L., Zhuang, W., Cleghorn, G., Rudolph, C. D., Liu, B., Shaddy, D. J., & Colombo, J. (2019). Improved Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Associated with Bovine Milk Fat Globule Membrane and Lactoferrin in Infant Formula: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Journal of Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.08.030
Timby, N., Domellöf, M., Lönnerdal, B., & Hernell, O. (2017). Supplementation of infant formula with bovine milk fat globule membranes. In Advances in Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.116.014142.



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Meanwhile, oligosaccharides – such as galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and II’-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) – are likely to influence the gut-brain axis thanks to their bifidogenic effect. Upon their fermentation by the gut microbiota, metabolites such as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are formed

Ratsika, A., Codagnone, M. C., O’mahony, S., Stanton, C., & Cryan, J. F. (2021). Priming for life: Early life nutrition and the microbiota-gut-brain axis. In Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020423



, which may have a direct or indirect impact on cognition, brain development and even emotional wellbeing

Silva YP, Bernardi A, Frozza RL. The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). Published online 2020



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GOS are the most widely applied oligosaccharide in infant formula globally. They are a complex mix of oligosaccharide structures, made up of glucose and galactose, which are also building blocks of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). A large body of scientific evidence supports the influence of GOS on the composition of the infant gut microbiota

Ben, X.-M., Li, J., Feng, Z.-T., Shi, Z.-Y., Lu, Y.-D., Chen, R., & Zhou, X.-Y. (2008). Low level of galacto-oligosaccharide in infant formula stimulates growth of intestinal Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 14(42), 6564. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.14.6564
Fanaro, S., Marten, B., Bagna, R., Vigi, V., Fabris, C., Peña-Quintana, L., Argüelles, F., Scholz-Ahrens, K. E., Sawatzki, G., Zelenka, R., Schrezenmeir, J., de Vrese, M., & Bertino, E. (2009). Galacto-oligosaccharides are bifidogenic and safe at weaning: a double-blind randomized multicenter study. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 48(1), 82–88. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19172129
Giovannini, M., Verduci, E., Gregori, D., Ballali, S., Soldi, S., Ghisleni, D., & Riva, E. (2014). Prebiotic Effect of an Infant Formula Supplemented with Galacto-Oligosaccharides: Randomized Multicenter Trial. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2013.878232
Sierra, C., Bernal, M.-J., Blasco, J., Martínez, R., Dalmau, J., Ortuño, I., Espín, B., Vasallo, M.-I., Gil, D., Vidal, M.-L., Infante, D., Leis, R., Maldonado, J., Moreno, J.-M., & Román, E. (2014). Prebiotic effect during the first year of life in healthy infants fed formula containing GOS as the only prebiotic: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. European Journal of Nutrition, 54(1), 89–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0689-9



. And a recent study in young adult women, has shown that supplementation with GOS reduces anxiety in a highly-anxious subgroup. This effect was accompanied by an increase in Bifidobacteria in the gut

Johnstone, N., Milesi, C., Burn, O., van den Bogert, B., Nauta, A., Hart, K., Sowden, P., Burnet, P. W. J., & Cohen Kadosh, K. (2021). Anxiolytic effects of a galacto-oligosaccharides prebiotic in healthy females (18–25 years) with corresponding changes in gut bacterial composition. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87865-w



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HMOs – such as 2’-FL – are non-digestible carbohydrates that have been shown to provide the right conditions for beneficial bacteria to thrive in the infant gut

Bode, L., Kuhn, L., Kim, H.-Y., Hsiao, L., Nissan, C., Sinkala, M., Kankasa, C., Mwiya, M., Thea, D. M., & Aldrovandi, G. M. (2012). Human milk oligosaccharide concentration and risk of postnatal transmission of HIV through breastfeeding. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 96(4), 831–839. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.112.039503



. 2’-FL in human milk has been positively associated with cognitive and motor skill scores of 18-month-old children

Oliveros, E., Martin, M., Torres-Espinola, F. J., Segura-Moreno, T., Ramirez, M., Santos-Fandila, A., Buck, R., Rueda, R., Escudero, M., Catena, A., Azaryah, H., & Campoy, C. (2021). Human Milk Levels of 2´-Fucosyllactose and 6´-Sialyllactose are Positively Associated with Infant Neurodevelopment and are Not Impacted by Maternal BMI or Diabetic Status. Nutrition & Food Science.



. Research in animal models has now also shown that supplementation with 2’-FL can improve learning and memory

Vázquez, E., Barranco, A., Ramírez, M., Gruart, A., Delgado-García, J. M., Martínez-Lara, E., Blanco, S., Martín, M. J., Castanys, E., Buck, R., Prieto, P., & Rueda, R. (2015). Effects of a human milk oligosaccharide, 2′-fucosyllactose, on hippocampal long-term potentiation and learning capabilities in rodents. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2014.11.016.



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Parents call for cognitive development

According to our latest research, infant brain development is a top 10 concern for parents right now, with emotional wellbeing ranking in third place

Innova Market Insights & RFC, Early Life Nutrition survey, 2020 



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