Breast milk is the new health trend for adults

The global giants of chemistry DowDuPont Inc. and BASF SE they invest millions forIncrease the production of a non-digestible sugar naturally present in bad milk. Manufacturers of infant formula as Nestlé SA can not stand the appetite for the synthetic ingredient. Companies are now looking for a customer with even more potential: the adults. DuPont believes that the annual market could reach US $ 1,000 million.

The oligosaccharide bad milk (HMO) is the third most common solid product in bad milk, after lactose and fat. The HMO escapes digestion, allowing it to reach the colon where it feeds the beneficial bacteria. The HMO can explain why Babies fed on bad milk are better treated than those fed formulasaid Rachael Buck, who leads the HMO research at Abbott Laboratories, a Similac producer.

"It's a fascinating treasure of benefits that we've discovered"Buck said.

In babies, HMO strengthens the developing immune system, helping to fight infections and inflammation at the same time helps brain development, according to initial investigations. New studies show that people of all ages could benefit from HMOs, which coincides with consumers' growing fascination with probiotics, as "good" bacteria can help maintain the health of the human body.

Synthetic HMO comes from industry research to make a bad-milk substitute it's as close as possible to reality. Some members of the scientific community see with skepticism the supposed benefitsespecially when it involves a higher price.

"Do not badume that adding a component of bad milk makes milk powder like bad milk"said Steven A. Abrams, chairman of the nutrition committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "This is not itsaid Abrams, a professor at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas in Austin.

The HMO could lead to treatments for adult diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, allergies and even brain agingBuck said. An animal study conducted in Abbott Laboratories has shown that HMO stimulates the vagus nerve, "a superconnexion connecting the intestine to the brain"he said. "This has the potential to help brain development early in life and, later, when the brain is deteriorating."

Commercial production is usually achieved through a process of Fermentation using giant vats filled with genetically modified microbes produce specific varieties of HMO, such as 2 'FL.

DuPont plans to invest $ 40 million in the development of its HMO production capacity this year, the second capital investment following the expansion of a Tyvek plant. In the meantime, it is partnering with Lonza Group AG to meet the current demand. DuPont will become an independent company when it separates from DowDuPont on June 1st.

Affirmations on the beneficial effects on HMO sales of around $ 600 million have helped health last year for Abbott and Nestlé SA.

Heidi Haydock, a senior executive at Cardinal Health Inc., is one of Abbott's clients. Two years ago, she was unable to badfeed her newborn because she was receiving chemotherapy for bad cancer. Concerned about the development of his digestive system, he fed it with Similac with HMO.

"A mother who can not give bad milk feels that it fails," Haydock said. "Being able to give the best alternative has made me feel better."