The Effects of an Infant Formula Enriched with Milk Fat Globule Membrane, Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Synbiotics on Child Behavior up to 2.5 Years Old: The COGNIS Study

Although early life nutrition influences brain development and mental health, the long-term effects of supplemented infant formula on children´s behavior remain unclear. We analyzed the effects of a bioactive nutrients-enriched-infant formula on children's behavior up to 2.5 years, compared to a standard infant formula or breastfeeding. Current analysis involved 70 children who were fed a standard infant formula (SF, n = 29) or a bioactive compounds enriched-infant formula (EF, n = 41), during their first 18 months of life, and 33 breastfed (BF) children (reference group) participating in the COGNIS study. Behavioral problems were evaluated using the Child Behavior Checklist at 18 months and 2.5 years. Different statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. EF children aged 2.5 years presented fewer pathological affective problems than SF children. Besides, SF children were classified more frequently as bordering on internalizing problems than BF children. Rates of externalizing problems were increased in SF infants compared to EF and BF infants. Higher maternal IQ was found to have beneficial effects on internalizing and total problem rate in their offspring at 18 months of life; finally, higher maternal educational level was related with fewer ADHD problems in children at 18 months, as well as internalizing, externalizing, total and anxiety problems in children aged 2.5 years. Our analysis suggests that enriched infant formula fed infants seem to show fewer behavioral problems up to 2.5 years compared to a standard infant formula-fed infants. In addition to type of early feeding, maternal IQ and educational level seem to play a key role on children behavioral development.This project has been funded by Ordesa Laboratories, S.L. Contract University of Granada General Foundation, No. 3349 and SMARTFOODS (CIEN) Contract University of Granada General Foundation, No. 4003, Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness; and partially funded by HORIZON 2020 EU DynaHEALTH Project (GA No. 633595). Natalia Sepúlveda-Valbuena has been granted with a scholarship from Fundación Carolina, Madrid, Spain. Publication expenses for this article has been supported by Cátedra ORDESA-University of Granada, Spain as part of Special Issue “Early Nutrition and Re-programming of Health and Disease”.Ye

Functional foods as source of bioactive principles. Some marked examples

Functional foods are those that have a beneficial effect on health beyond the basic function of nutrition, helping to promote better health conditions and to reduce the risk of various diseases. This concept was created in Japan in the 1980s and is widely used around the world. The regulation of these products is made by different authorities and has not been defined yet in many countries. The field of food production has increased and changed considerably in the last decades, since the consumers believe that foods, besides satisfy hunger and to provide necessary nutrients for humans, also contribute directly to improve their health conditions. The present chapter will focus with marked examples the main categories of functional foods and respective therapeutic potential (cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory properties, etc.) as well as the active principles responsible for the medicinal properties (flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenes, etc.), including curcuma, garlic, olive oil, grape, broccoli, and probiotic, among others