University of Georgia researchers say human breast milk is the best source of food for infants, but a new second best-formula may be made from hazelnut oil.

Casimir Akoh -- a distinguished research professor of food science and technology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences -- developed a new nutrient based on hazelnut oil that mimics the structure of mother's milk, making it well suited to nourish infants.

Mothers naturally provide the healthful omega-3 fatty acid DHA -- docosahexaenoic acid -- and omega-6 fatty acid ARA -- arachidonic acid -- to infants during the last three months of pregnancy and through breastfeeding. The fatty acids are important for the development of the brain and other organs.

The findings, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, said Akoh's development -- fats from hazelnut oil -- contain DHA and ARA at the same molecular positions found on fats in human milk.

"The fatty acid profile of human milk is the gold standard when designing the fat composition of infant formulas," Akoh said. "The unique structure of human milk fat increases digestion and absorption of the fatty acids and improves calcium absorption."

Akoh's design using hazelnuts includes all the components in one molecule. This new molecule also includes palmitic acid in the middle, which is found naturally in human milk fat and in the oleic acid in hazelnut oils. (UPI)

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모유 안 되면 헤이즐넛 오일이라도...



아기들에게 가장 좋은 영양 공급원은 모유지만, 차선책으로 헤이즐넛 오일도 유용하다는 조지아 대학의 연구 결과가 나왔다.

농생환경대학 연구원인 카시미르 아코는 헤이즐넛 오일을 이용해서 모유와 유사한 구조의 새로운 영양분을 개발했다.

모유는 태아에게 임신 마지막 3달과 수유 기간 동안 DHA와 아라키돈산을 공급해서 두뇌와 기타 기관들의 발달을 돕는다.

이 신규 영양분의 DHA와 아라키돈산 분자 구조는 모유와 거의 유사한 것으로 밝혀졌다.