Lactoferrin is one of the star nutrients in infant formula, and formulas with lactoferrin added to it are certainly much more expensive. Why is that? What is the role of lactoferrin added to milk powder?
The role of lactoferrin added in formula
1. Promote iron absorption
Iron is an important component of hemoglobin and plays an important role in infant growth and development. Iron deficiency anemia is a common nutritional deficiency disease in infants and young children, and even mild anemia can affect children's intellectual development. To prevent iron deficiency anemia, national standards for formula milk powder require the added content of iron:
The iron content in a stage of formula milk powder is required to contain 0.10-0.36mg per 100kj (kJ);
The iron content in the second and third stages of infant formula is required to contain 0.25-0.50mg per 100kj (kJ);
However, most infant formulas add ferrous sulfate, ferrous lactate, etc., and only a few formulas add lactoferrin, which can better promote iron absorption.
Lactoferrin can improve the bioavailability of iron ions in the intestine, improve the absorption rate of iron, enhance hematopoietic function, and effectively prevent anemia in infants and young children.
2. Antibacterial and antiviral
Lactoferrin can take away the iron required for bacterial growth and inhibit the growth of bacteria, so as to achieve the purpose of bacteriostatic. Lactoferrin can exert antibacterial and antiviral activity in the intestine through direct action on pathogens, help infants and young children resist harmful microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, and prevent and reduce the incidence of common diseases in infants such as respiratory infections, diarrhea and enteritis caused by viruses;
3. Promote the growth of intestinal beneficial bacteria
The concentration of lactoferrin in the small intestine can be maintained continuously, so it promotes the proliferation of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria, inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria, protects the intestine from harmful bacteria, maintains the balance of intestinal flora, and builds a healthy defense line of the baby's immune system.
4. Regulate immune function
Lactoferrin stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal mucosal cells and promotes the development and maturation of the intestinal immune system; Lactoferrin can also promote the maturation and activation of immune cells, promote antibody production, regulate and improve the body's immune response, and regulate and improve immunity.
5. Other physiological functions
Lactoferrin can promote the growth of bone cells and facilitate bone growth; It also has a certain antioxidant effect, inhibiting lipid peroxidation; It can also stimulate lysozyme enzyme regeneration, etc.
Lactoferrin protects your baby's health
The addition of lactoferrin to infant formula is extracted from cow's milk, and it takes about 14 kg to extract 1 gram of lactoferrin. Therefore, the price of milk powder with lactoferrin will be relatively expensive. However, the recombinant addition of lactoferrin can prevent neonatal infection, promote the improvement of baby's immunity, and escort the baby's health because of its special structure and good effect.
In fact, in addition to artificial or mixed feeding infants and young children, pregnant women, iron deficiency anemia, immunocompromised people, frail elderly people can also choose to add lactoferrin food to help improve the ability to fight viruses and bacteria, effectively prevent bacteria and viral infections; Promotes iron absorption, prevents anemia, enhances disease resistance, repairs and improves immunity.
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