Nestlé launches the NANCARE® supplements range

Vitamin D deficiency is a major global public health problem in all age groups^{1, 2}.

Vitamin D, vitamin E and DHA are very important for the proper development and functioning of the immune system, the skeletal system and the brain, in this sense, after numerous researches in the field, Nestlé, through its Infant Nutrition division, brings to the market the supplements Nestlé NANCARE® Drops with vitamin D, Nestlé NANCARE® DHA Vitamins D and E, Nestlé NANCARE® Flora-Equilibrium.

According to studies^{3, 4}, Vitamin D is an important nutrient for maintaining bone health and for the normal functioning of the immune system. Severe vitamin D deficiency in infants can lead to numerous health problems, including rickets, an increased risk of osteoporosis later in life⁵. Any level of vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased vulnerability to conditions such as asthma, type 1 diabetes, respiratory infections, influenza⁶. Rickets develop towards the end of the first year of life and during the second year and can be prevented with adequate intake of vitamin D⁷.

The rate of bone growth is especially high in the infant period and in childhood, therefore it is an important period for the assimilation of minerals into the bones. Children are at a higher risk of insufficient intake of vitamin D due to this rapid bone growth^{5, 8, 9}.

Read more about

Nestlé comes to Top Employers with paid internships and more!

read more

The authorities in the field recommend vitamin D supplements for infants and children, because adequate intake of vitamin D is difficult to achieve without resorting to supplements^1-9 for the following reasons: the diet of infants is poor in vitamin D and exposure to sunlight is often reduced at an early age. Experts¹⁰ recommend vitamin D supplements especially for infants with high risk factors for deficiencies, including those exclusively breastfed, infants born prematurely, those with dark skin, and all infants and children with limited exposure to sunlight.

“The international authorities (IOM, ESPGHAN, the Italian Society of Pediatrics and the Romanian Society of Pediatrics) recommend a daily dose of 400 IU of vitamin D for infants. In this sense, Nestlé NANCARE® Drops with vitamin D, Nestlé NANCARE® Drops with DHA and vitamins D and E can complement the recommended daily intake for the healthy development of our children. Each of our products is supported by the knowledge and researches made for over 150 years by Nestlé, and are specially developed for children”, says Mihaela Bușu, Business Executive Officer Nestlé Infant Nutrition.

Nestlé NANCARE® Vitamin D drops can be taken daily, once a day, with a teaspoon or directly in the mouth. It can also be given in a teaspoon with breast milk or other liquids.

DHA is a main structural component of the brain and retina, a special fatty acid found in breast milk and which plays a critical role in the development of the brain and vision^11-13. The human body can synthesize DHA from an essential fatty acid (ALA), but the rate at which it is synthesized is slow. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations establishes that DHA should be considered conditionally essential in early development¹⁴. The brain and eyes develop rapidly in the first years of life^{12,13, 15-17}. If at birth the brain of an infant has 25% of the weight of an adult brain, at 2 years of age it reaches 80% of the maximum size. Also, infants are born with poor eyesight, which fully develops by the age of 2 years. Thus, adequate DHA intake is essential from an early age.

Guidelines on the adequate intake of DHA in infants have been issued by several medical authorities. EFSA 2013¹⁸ states that for children aged 0 to 24 months, a DHA intake of 100mg/day is recommended. However, there are difficulties in covering the DHA requirement only through diet, so DHA supplements can complement the necessary intake for children.

In turn, vitamin E helps protect cell components from oxidative stress. EFSA stated that a cause-of-effect relationship had been established between dietary intake of vitamin E and the protection of DNA, proteins and lipids against oxidative stress¹⁹. Only four drops of Nestlé NANCARE® Drops with DHA and vitamin D and E complement the recommended daily requirement and contribute to the normal development and functioning of the brain, maintaining the health of the bone system and the normal functioning of the immune system.

In addition to vitamin D and E deficiency, infants and children also experience episodes of constipation. The main causes of constipation are^20-22: an immature digestive system, delayed or impaired colonization of the intestinal microbiota, dietary changes and repeated attempts at stool retention due to fears of previous unpleasant experiences. Constipation affects up to 30% of infants and children, and the incidence of this condition reaches its peak in the age range of 2 and 4 years^23-25.

Nestlé NANCARE® Flora-Equilibrium contains GOS/FOS oligosaccharides that promote the balance of the gut flora. GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides) and FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides) are prebiotic oligosaccharides, which have a beneficial effect on the host²⁶ by selectively stimulating the increase in the activity of one or a limited number of bacterial species already resident in the colon and thus try to improve the health of the host. Altered intestinal flora can lead to constipation, a disorder characterized by a small number of stools and/or hard stools that require excessive effort to be eliminated. Two sachets a day of Nestlé NANCARE® Flora-Equilibrium mixed in water/milk favor the balance of the gut flora.