Revolutionizing early life nutrition: Lallemand Health Solutions’ latest probiotic innovations

18 Sep 2024 --- Lallemand Health Solutions is spotlighting the benefits of its probiotics offerings for early-life nutrition (ELN) and development. The company touts that its ingredients have been shown to strengthen, promote digestion and bolster babies’ natural defenses. At the same time, evidence reveals influences on the gut-brain axis and increased metabolic health.

Nutrition Insight sits down with Valentine Barassé, the product manager at Lallemand Health Solutions, to discuss the benefits of probiotics in early-life development, the company’s latest innovations in infant nutrition and its recent partnership with dsm-firmenich.

“Lallemand Health Solutions specializes in the development, production and marketing of bacteria- and yeast-based probiotic supplements for human health,” Barassé explains. 

“Its range of evidence-based probiotic solutions for babies’ health are specifically designed to preserve a well-balanced baby-specific gut microbiome with a high proportion of friendly Bifidobacteria, encourage a smooth and timely evolution of the gut microbiota to support the key areas of infant’s development and promote overall well-being.”

Scientifically proven efficacy

Barassé highlights the benefits of Probiokid, Lacidofil and its B. lactis Lafti B94 strain for infant health and development.

She stresses that Probiokid is a Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) ingredient approved for use in infant formula from birth. It is authorized for infant food in China and by Brazil’s health regulatory agency, the Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA), for infants aged three months and older. Probiokid may promote favorable gut flora and enhance natural defenses in children.

Valentine Barassé, the product manager at Lallemand Health Solutions.“Probiokid combines L. helveticus Rosell-52, B. infantis Rosell-33, B. bifidum Rosell-71 and fructooligosaccharides (FOS),” Barassé reveals. “It is supported by 23 clinical studies involving infants and children under three years old, including safety assessments and post-hoc analyses — benefits were shown for gut health, natural defenses and beyond.”

Lacidofil, which is a blend of L. rhamnosus Rosell-11 and L. helveticus Rosell-52, has been shown to effectively reduce the duration of occasional diarrhea and to support skin health in children aged 0 to 4 years.

“Lacidofil probiotic formula is renown to contribute to a robust and resilient gut ecosystem,” Barassé adds. “Supported by 29 clinical studies, including four specifically in infants and toddlers, Lacidofil shows several applications, from promoting gut comfort to supporting natural defenses (immune marker levels) and beyond.”

Additionally, she points out that Lallemand Health Solutions’ B. lactis Lafti B94 is supported by 11 clinical studies on gut and metabolic health, including research involving over 800 infants and toddlers. It has also been deemed GRAS for infant formula and studies show it may enhance gastrointestinal health, promote favorable gut flora and support a healthy microflora balance.

Gut health and immunity boosts

Barassé stresses the importance of gut health and immunity in ELN and infant development, noting that developing a strong infant microbiome is essential for promoting gut maturation and facilitating healthy digestion. She explains that infants are born with a mostly sterile gut, and as they interact with their environment, their gut microbiota begins to grow and evolve.

“Probiotics aid in this early colonization process, fostering a diverse and balanced microbial community,” Barassé underscores. “Probiotics aid in the breakdown and absorption of nutrients in the gut, supporting healthy digestion in infants.”

“By enhancing the intestinal lining and improving gut motility, probiotics promote a balanced gut environment, promoting digestive comfort.”

She also emphasizes the importance of supporting the development of the immune system. About 70% of the body’s immune cells are located in the gut. Probiotics are crucial for establishing a healthy digestive system and help educate the immune system, facilitating proper and timely immune maturation primarily associated with the development of gut lymphoid tissue.Barassé highlights that probiotics can enhance infants’ gut health, brain health, immune health and metabolic health.

Brain and metabolic benefits

Consumers are also looking for safe ingredients that offer benefits beyond digestion and immunity, such as those that support cognitive development and boost heart and metabolic health.

According to Barassé, Lallemand Health Solutions’ probiotics can enhance early cognitive function and brain development via the gut-brain axis. Brain development starts soon after conception and proper growth and nutrition are critical. Nascent neurodevelopmental processes, such as alterations in the number of synapses and the integrity of myelin, continue during the early years after birth.

“Although more clinical research is necessary, emerging evidence suggests that probiotics influence the establishment and development of the microbiota-gut-brain axis, potentially benefiting early-life neurodevelopment,” she emphasizes. “Promising effects include stimulating the production of gut-derived neurotransmitters, short-chain fatty acids (such as butyrate and propionate) and gut-derived hormones.”

Barassé also illustrates how probiotics can aid in early metabolic maturation, which is beneficial for long-term health.

Lallemand Health Solutions’ partnership with dsm-firmenich will allow for the creation of probiotic and HMO synbiotics.“For example, infants exposed to antibiotics at birth — whether from maternal transfer or direct intake — often experience delayed gut colonization by Bifidobacteria,” Barassé asserts. “This delay could increase the risk of developing metabolic conditions.” 

“Researchers now recognize that a healthy gut microbiota composition significantly influences metabolic health.”

Pioneering partnerships

In a bid to increase ELN and infants’ growth and development, Lallemand Health Solutions and dsm-firmenich joined forces to launch early-life synbiotic solutions that leverage the probiotics and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs).

“These synbiotic solutions were selected according to their potential benefits for infants,” says Barassé. “Promising preclinical results demonstrate that selective combinations promote the growth of specific Lallemand’s probiotic strains and enhance the production of metabolites related to key areas of infant’s development.”

James Young, the VP of early life nutrition at dsm-firmenich, emphasizes the importance of providing all infants with optimal nutrition during early life. He highlights that the partnership represents a major advancement in ELN, that will help create innovative synbiotic solutions to improve outcomes for non-breastfed infants.

“By leveraging our deep understanding of HMOs and Lallemand Health Solution’s world-class probiotics, we are poised to set a new standard for synbiotics in infant nutrition,” Young concludes. “We are confident this collaboration will enable us to meet the evolving needs of parents and infants, ultimately making a positive impact on the lives of families globally.”

By William Bradford Nichols