The study was conducted in Bangladesh among malnourished children and highly appreciated among world experts. Full article has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2023294

One Expert Comment: 

Written by David Rakel MD, FAAFP  

Nutrition Is More than Calories

Nutrition is much more than calories. In this study, malnourished children aged 12 to 18 months in Bangladesh were given 50 g of a daily microbiota food supplement versus 50 g of a nutritional food supplement for 3 months.

Despite the food supplement having more calories (247 vs 204 Kcal), the infants gained more weight with the probiotic supplement.

This suggests that bacteria can enhance nutrient absorption and trigger growth proteins with benefits that extend beyond simple calories.

Take-Home Message

For malnourished infants in Bangladesh, a microbiotic/probiotic food supplement increased weight gain and proteins needed for growth of bone and the central nervous system.

“This shows that nutrition is much more than calories; it is the result of a dynamic ecosystem within the body that depends on the types of bacteria and the environment they inhabit.”

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