Baby Food Formula Impacts Intestinal Flora, Study Finds

Breast milk is considered the gold standard for healthy infant nutrition, and a variety of ingredients ensure the normal development of intestinal flora. Prof. Dirk Haller emphasizes: “Infant formula in combination with breast milk leads to normal intestinal flora development. We were also able to prove that different replacement formulas directly affect the composition of the intestinal flora.”

The differences were particularly evident between the infants’ third and seventh month of life. Adding bifidobacteria to the infant formula did not lead to the hoped-for increase in these bacteria in the intestine. Breast milk and substitute formula mixed with galacto-oligosaccharides worked measurably better here. The researchers gained their findings through molecular examinations of the babies’ food and stool over a period from birth to twelve months of age.

Surprising finding: intestinal bacteria have their own “internal clock”

As a side effect of their investigations, the researchers surprisingly discovered that intestinal bacteria live according to a 24-hour day-and-night rhythm. They even maintained this rhythm outside the intestine in the laboratory. It was, therefore, not dependent on the natural rhythm set by the babies’ organism. The researchers conclude that the intestinal bacteria have their own “internal clock”. However, their exact functioning still needs to be investigated further.