Low-Protein Infant Formula Enriched with Alpha-Lactalbumin during Early Infancy May Reduce Insulin Resistance at 12 Months : A Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial
(2024) In Nutrients 16(7).- Abstract
High protein intake during infancy results in accelerated early weight gain and potentially later obesity. The aim of this follow-up study at 12 months was to evaluate if modified low-protein formulas fed during early infancy have long-term effects on growth and metabolism. In a double-blinded RCT, the ALFoNS study, 245 healthy-term infants received low-protein formulas with either alpha-lactalbumin-enriched whey (α-lac-EW; 1.75 g protein/100 kcal), casein glycomacropeptide-reduced whey (CGMP-RW; 1.76 g protein/100 kcal), or standard infant formula (SF; 2.2 g protein/100 kcal) between 2 and 6 months of age. Breastfed (BF) infants served as a reference. At 12 months, anthropometrics and dietary intake were assessed, and serum was... (More)
High protein intake during infancy results in accelerated early weight gain and potentially later obesity. The aim of this follow-up study at 12 months was to evaluate if modified low-protein formulas fed during early infancy have long-term effects on growth and metabolism. In a double-blinded RCT, the ALFoNS study, 245 healthy-term infants received low-protein formulas with either alpha-lactalbumin-enriched whey (α-lac-EW; 1.75 g protein/100 kcal), casein glycomacropeptide-reduced whey (CGMP-RW; 1.76 g protein/100 kcal), or standard infant formula (SF; 2.2 g protein/100 kcal) between 2 and 6 months of age. Breastfed (BF) infants served as a reference. At 12 months, anthropometrics and dietary intake were assessed, and serum was analyzed for insulin, C-peptide, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Weight gain between 6 and 12 months and BMI at 12 months were higher in the SF than in the BF infants (p = 0.019; p < 0.001, respectively), but were not significantly different between the low-protein formula groups and the BF group. S-insulin and C-peptide were higher in the SF than in the BF group (p < 0.001; p = 0.003, respectively), but more alike in the low-protein formula groups and the BF group. Serum IGF-1 at 12 months was similar in all study groups. Conclusion: Feeding modified low-protein formula during early infancy seems to reduce insulin resistance, resulting in more similar growth, serum insulin, and C-peptide concentrations to BF infants at 6-months post intervention. Feeding modified low-protein formula during early infancy results in more similar growth, serum insulin, and C-peptide concentrations to BF infants 6-months post intervention, probably due to reduced insulin resistance in the low-protein groups.
(Less)
- author
- Tinghäll Nilsson, Ulrika LU ; Lönnerdal, Bo ; Hernell, Olle ; Kvistgaard, Anne Staudt ; Jacobsen, Lotte Neergaard and Karlsland Åkeson, Pia LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-04
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- alpha-lactalbumin, body mass index, CGMP, childhood obesity, IGF-1, infant formula, infant growth, infant nutrition, insulin, low-protein
- in
- Nutrients
- volume
- 16
- issue
- 7
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:38613059
- scopus:85190492425
- ISSN
- 2072-6643
- DOI
- 10.3390/nu16071026
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a91229b8-48bc-4c39-8956-13bf1acf788f
- date added to LUP
- 2024-04-30 10:15:52
- date last changed
- 2025-05-14 22:56:25
@article{a91229b8-48bc-4c39-8956-13bf1acf788f,
abstract = {{<p>High protein intake during infancy results in accelerated early weight gain and potentially later obesity. The aim of this follow-up study at 12 months was to evaluate if modified low-protein formulas fed during early infancy have long-term effects on growth and metabolism. In a double-blinded RCT, the ALFoNS study, 245 healthy-term infants received low-protein formulas with either alpha-lactalbumin-enriched whey (α-lac-EW; 1.75 g protein/100 kcal), casein glycomacropeptide-reduced whey (CGMP-RW; 1.76 g protein/100 kcal), or standard infant formula (SF; 2.2 g protein/100 kcal) between 2 and 6 months of age. Breastfed (BF) infants served as a reference. At 12 months, anthropometrics and dietary intake were assessed, and serum was analyzed for insulin, C-peptide, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Weight gain between 6 and 12 months and BMI at 12 months were higher in the SF than in the BF infants (p = 0.019; p < 0.001, respectively), but were not significantly different between the low-protein formula groups and the BF group. S-insulin and C-peptide were higher in the SF than in the BF group (p < 0.001; p = 0.003, respectively), but more alike in the low-protein formula groups and the BF group. Serum IGF-1 at 12 months was similar in all study groups. Conclusion: Feeding modified low-protein formula during early infancy seems to reduce insulin resistance, resulting in more similar growth, serum insulin, and C-peptide concentrations to BF infants at 6-months post intervention. Feeding modified low-protein formula during early infancy results in more similar growth, serum insulin, and C-peptide concentrations to BF infants 6-months post intervention, probably due to reduced insulin resistance in the low-protein groups.</p>}},
author = {{Tinghäll Nilsson, Ulrika and Lönnerdal, Bo and Hernell, Olle and Kvistgaard, Anne Staudt and Jacobsen, Lotte Neergaard and Karlsland Åkeson, Pia}},
issn = {{2072-6643}},
keywords = {{alpha-lactalbumin; body mass index; CGMP; childhood obesity; IGF-1; infant formula; infant growth; infant nutrition; insulin; low-protein}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{7}},
publisher = {{MDPI AG}},
series = {{Nutrients}},
title = {{Low-Protein Infant Formula Enriched with Alpha-Lactalbumin during Early Infancy May Reduce Insulin Resistance at 12 Months : A Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu16071026}},
doi = {{10.3390/nu16071026}},
volume = {{16}},
year = {{2024}},
}