Food Allergy Living Blog Tagged Results

As part of our ongoing "Carb Series", today's post will discuss the carbohydrates found in Neocate. As you found in Sarah's Carb 101 post, carbohydrates are the major source of energy for humans. Children require about 50% of their total energy to come from carbohydrate (remember there are 4 calories in 1 g of carbohydrate).

The carbohydrate source in Neocate is corn syrup solids. This is probably the most asked about ingredient in the Neocate line of products! Many parents aren't sure if corn syrup solids are similar to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It is important not to confuse the two. HFCS is chemically altered in order to make it much sweeter so it can be added to a wide range of processed/packaged foods. Thecorn syrup solids we use, along with the fats, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals are an important part of the nutritionally complete blend of nutrients in Neocate.

Another question we get asked a lot is whether the corn syrup solids in Neocate are safe for children with a corn allergy. It is important to remember that the corn syrup solids in Neocate are highly refined. This means that the ingredient goes through several steps in order to take out all of the protein from the corn (since proteins are what cause allergic reactions). This leaves only the complexcarbohydrate source from the corn. So, even if your child has an allergy to corn proteins, Neocate is still an appropriate choice for them.

The corn syrup solids used in Neocate are considered to be complex carbohydrates meaning they consist of large (branched) chains of sugars. This is important for patients who have severe gastrointestinal (GI) conditions such as Short Bowel Syndrome. Studies suggest that obtaining a good source of complex carbohydrates may be beneficial for patients who have had GI resections^1-2. The complex carbohydrates help with gut adaptation and rehabilitation to ensure proper nutrient absorption is taking place.

Got any questions on carbohydrates or the corn syrup solids used inthe Neocate family of products? Let us know!

-Christine

1. J. E. Bines, R. G. Taylor, F. Justice, et al., “Influence of diet complexity on intestinal adaptation following massive small bowel resection in a preclinical model,” Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, vol. 17, no. 11, pp. 1170–1179, 2002.

2. J. Ksiazyk, M. Piena, J. Kierkus, and M. Lyszkowska, “Hydrolyzed versus nonhydrolyzed protein diet in short bowel syndrome in children,” Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 615–618, 2002.

Last week for our Ingredient Series, Christine wrote about the fats in Neocate. In this post, I’ll expand on that and explain DHA and ARA in more detail.

As you may know, the Neocate Infant formula is available in the original formulation and the updated formulation, which contains DHA and ARA.

Docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid, better known as DHA and ARA, are types of fats (lipids) called long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (often abbreviated as “PUFAs”). DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid and ARA is an omega-6 fatty acid.

These fatty acids are found naturally in human breast milk and several other foods. Fish, especially cold water fish, have very high amounts of DHA. Eggs are also a natural source of DHA, but to a lesser degree than fish. ARA is found mostly in animal products, such as eggs, meat and fish.

It has been known for many years that long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA and ARA in particular) accumulate in the brain and eye of the fetus during gestation, especially during the last trimester of pregnancy.[1] More recent studies show that DHA and ARA may play an important role for brain and eye development during infancy as well.[2] Breast-fed infants receive DHA and ARA from their moms and studies show that breast-fed infants typically have higher blood levels of DHA and ARA in comparison to infants fed formulas without DHA and ARA. For this reason, and because of the important role DHA and ARA are thought to play with brain and eye development, many infant formulas are now fortified with DHA and ARA to more closely resemble the intake of breast-fed infants.

The DHA and ARA found in Neocate Infant with DHA and ARA are vegetarian and non-GMO (meaning they are not derived from genetically-modified sources). The source of DHA is C. Cohnii Oil and the source of ARA is M. Alpina Oil.

So now when you see the “DHA and ARA” banner on your can of Neocate (if you use the Neocate Infant with DHA and ARA), you’ll know exactly what it means!

We hope you found our Ingredient Series helpful. If you are curious about anything else in Neocate please ask us in the comments!

-Mallory

[1] FDA/CFSAN Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements July 2002
[2] Alan S. Ryan, James D. Astwood, Sheila Gautier, Connye N. Kuratko, Edward B. Nelson, Norman Salem . Effects of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on neurodevelopment in childhood: A review of human studies. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids - 26 February 2010 (10.1016/j.plefa.2010.02.007

This blog is a follow-up to Nita’s informative blog “Fats 101”. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read it first to gain a better understanding of all the different types of fats out there.

When reading the ingredient label, you may notice all the different types of oils used in Neocate. Why are there so many types? Each one is a source of a different type of fat, and a variety of fats are needed to maintain a balanced blend of fatty acids to help your baby develop and grow properly.

Sources of fat found in Neocate products include:

• Refined Vegetable Oil made up of:
  • Palm Kernel and/or Coconut Oil (source of Medium Chain Triglycerides)
  • High Oleic Sunflower Oil
• Soy Oil
• Canola Oil
• M. Alpina Oil (source of ARA)
• C. Cohnii Oil (source of DHA)

*Keep in mind that all of the proteins from these ingredients have been extracted. Since proteins are generally what cause an allergic reaction, Neocate should still be an appropriate choice for your little one – even if they have a soy, coconut or sunflower allergy.

Take a look at this very helpful chart which compares different sources of fat:

Source: www.canola.okstate.edu/nutrition/index.htm

I have this chart near me at all times to help me understand what exactly each fat ingredient contains.

You will notice how some ingredients have a very specific ratio of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fats. Each fat found in Neocate was specifically chosen to ensure there is a balanced blend in order for your child to get the right amounts of essential fats needed to grow and thrive.

You may also notice that Neocate Infant, Neocate Junior and Neocate One+ all have different percentages of fat. This is because children need different amounts of fat depending on their age and medical conditions. For this reason, it is important to pick a formula that is tailored to your child’s specific needs.

Infants need plenty of fat for proper growth and development, so Neocate Infant contains 41percent fat. Once children get to be a little bit older, fat should be taken in moderation, so Neocate One+ has 32 percent fat. If your child has a GI or allergy disease, they might have issues with malabsorption of certain nutrients. Neocate Junior is specially formulated to account for this with 45 percent fat and higher amounts of other important vitamins and minerals.

Mallory will be diving deeper into the fatty acids DHA and ARA at the end of the month, so be on the lookout for that blog!

I hope this helps a bit with understanding the ingredients in the Neocate Infant formula. If you still have questions about these or any other ingredients, ask away!

- Christine