Publish Time: 2022-03-28 Origin: Site
L-carnitine has certain functions in some physiological processes of maintaining infant life and promoting infant development. Adults can synthesize and maintain the concentration of L-carnitine required for normal metabolism by themselves, but infants' synthesis ability of L-carnitine is weak, only 12-15% of adults, especially premature infants, which can not meet their normal metabolic needs. Infants grow and develop rapidly, and the required carnitine increases sharply. For infants, carnitine has become a conditional essential nutrient. Appropriate supplement of exogenous carnitine is conducive to the normal growth and development of infants.
The content of L-carnitine in breast milk is high, and infants mainly rely on breast milk to supply the required L-carnitine. Generally, it can meet the needs of infants. However, with the change of social environment, many mothers cannot breastfeed their infants due to insufficient lactation and going out to work, but use commercially available formula food to artificially feed their infants. Infant formula is divided into four main types:
1. Milk based formula; 2. Formula based on milk and whey protein; 3. Soy based formula; 4. Formula based on protein decomposition products. ① ② the carnitine content in the formula is high, while ③ ④ the carnitine content in the formula is far lower than that in human milk. Many experiments have confirmed that carnitine deficiency can cause the increase of blood lipid and affect the normal progress of fatty acid oxidation and nitrogen metabolism in infants.
After birth, fat once became the main source of energy. Carnitine plays an important role in fatty acid transport, metabolism and protein metabolism. It participates in a series of key physiological processes to maintain the life of infants. Although there is no definite research conclusion, we should also pay attention to the possible adverse consequences of carnitine deficiency on infants, and even lead to pathological changes. For infants who cannot guarantee breastfeeding and low birth weight infants (due to their lower carnitine level, the carnitine contained in breast milk may not meet their needs), an appropriate amount of carnitine needs to be fortified. The fortified form of carnitine is usually L-carnitine.
It is suggested that the soy formula for normal term infants can be fortified with a dose equivalent to the carnitine content in breast milk to meet the needs of normal metabolism in infants. In many kinds of legume formulas, the content of fortified carnitine is different, and there are also excessive cases. However, strengthening carnitine is not the more the better. It can meet the needs of infants. Too much will increase the burden on infants' kidneys and cause unnecessary waste and harm.