The importance of good gut health

What we believe

The gut plays an essential role in infant health and well-being. The gut needs to develop and mature sufficiently in early life to ensure a first line of defence against threats from the external environment

Kelly D, King T, Aminov R. Importance of microbial colonization of the gut in early life to the development of immunity. Mutat Res Mol Mech Mutagen. 2007;622(1):58-69. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2007.03.011  ;



to support microbiota development,

Zhuang, L., Chen, H., Zhang, S., Zhuang, J., Li, Q., & Feng, Z. (2019). Intestinal Microbiota in Early
Life and Its Implications on Childhood Health. Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics, 17(1), 13–25.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gpb.2018.10.002



proper digestion and absorption of nutrients;

Hamosh M. Digestion in the Newborn. Clin Perinatol. 1996;23(2):191-209. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0095-5108(18)30238-0



and to ensure adequate development of the immune system.

Martin, R., Nauta, A. J., Ben Amor, K., Knippels, L. M. J., Knol, J., & Garssen, J. (2010). Early life: Gut microbiota and immune development in infancy. Beneficial Microbes. https://doi.org/10.3920/BM2010.0027



.Good gut health relies on gut colonisation by beneficial micro-organisms during the establishment of the infant gut microbiota.

At FrieslandCampina Ingredients, we believe that delivering a larger variety of non-digestible oligosaccharides—a combination of GOS and HMOs—can be of key importance for the establishment of the gut microbiota and its metabolism, thereby feeding into many different health aspects in early life and beyond.

So how does good gut health in infants offer benefits throughout life? In four key areas:

Immune health

Limiting the ability of pathogens to colonise the gut, supporting the healthy development and function of the immune system

Arrieta, M.C., Stiemsma, L.T., Amenyogbe, N. & Brown, E.M. The intestinal microbiome in early life: health and disease. Front Immuno. 2014;5;5:427.

Digestive comfort

Stimulating the growth of Bifidobacteria, so promoting the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and improving stool consistency and regularity of bowel movements

Sierra C, Bernal MJ, Blasco J, et al. 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. Eur J Nutr. Published online 2015. doi:10.1007/s00394-014-0689-9
Williams T, Choe Y, Price P, et al. Tolerance of formulas containing prebiotics in healthy, term infants. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. Published online 2014. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000000513

Brain development and emotional wellbeing

Influencing (directly or indirectly) neuro-cognitive development and brain function, through specific gut-brain pathways

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
Carlson, A. L., Xia, K., Azcarate-Peril, M. A., Goldman, B. D., Ahn, M., Styner, M. A., Thompson, A. L., Geng, X., Gilmore, J. H., & Knickmeyer, R. C. (2018). Infant Gut Microbiome Associated With Cognitive Development. Biological Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.06.021

Healthy growth

Supporting key mineral absorption for healthy growth

Skrypnik, K., & Suliburska, J. (2018). Association between the gut microbiota and mineral metabolism. In Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.8724
Whisner, C. M., & Castillo, L. F. (2018). Prebiotics, Bone and Mineral Metabolism. In Calcified Tissue International. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-017-0339-3

A parent’s gut feeling

New and exclusive consumer research by FrieslandCampina Ingredients and Innova Market Insights illuminates a clear trend in parental priorities: interest in gut health is on the rise.

* Not from human milk