Chr. Hansen Combines Omega 3 and Probiotics in Mother & Baby Supplement

06 Oct 2014 --- It is common for pregnant women to struggle with mild constipation during pregnancy*. With its combination of probiotics and omega-3, the Mother’s 1st solution is good news not only for the constipated moms-to-be but also for lactating mothers and their infants.

Mother’s 1st is the world’s first soft gel formulation that can deliver live probiotics with two years’ shelf life and at an adequate level as documented in clinical evidence. At end of shelf life, one Mother’s 1st soft gel capsule contains one billion live Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12®) probiotic bacteria (hereafter named BB-12, a registered trademark of Chr. Hansen A/S) and 250 mg of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

Clinical studies show BB-12 supports general immune and gastrointestinal health, while supplementation with DHA has been shown to support early brain and eye development in infants.

 “We are truly proud to be able to present this landmark and patent-pending innovation to the market,” says Chr. Hansen’s Lasse Nagell, Sales & Marketing Vice President, Human Health & Nutrition. “The best documented Bifidobacterium in the world, BB-12, now comes together with omega-3, widely considered the most recognized health-promoting supplement ingredient, in a powerful ‘2-in-1’ solution suitable for an important consumer category: mother and baby. We simply can’t wait to speak to dietary supplement producers about this new route to diversification and success in the marketplace,” Nagell ends.

Mother’s 1st is based on the new LIFE GEL technology, which makes it possible to combine Chr. Hansen’s flagship probiotic strain BB-12 and omega-3 (DHA or EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)) in a soft gel with a two-year shelf life. The technical achievement of the LIFE GEL technology is outstanding as soft gels contain a lot of moisture and are produced at high temperature ? two facts that live probiotics are not fond of.

According to WHO, probiotics are “Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fat that the body derives from food. Omega-3s (and omega-6s) are known as essential fatty acids because they are important for good health. The body cannot make these fatty acids on its own so omega-3s must be obtained from food (source: U.S. National Library of Medicine). The omega-3 fatty acid DHA has two approved health claims in the EU register saying that maternal intake contributes to the normal brain and eye development of the fetus and breastfed infants.