Is dephytinization from infant cereals beneficial to the nutrition absorption?
Cereals are considered a rich plant source of carbohydrate, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and are therefore are usually introduced to an infant’s diet between the ages of four and six months. However, cereals are also rich in antinutrients, which can decrease the absorption of critical nutrients such as iron, calcium, and zinc because of their high ability to chelate and precipitate minerals. Given the importance of an adequate intake of minerals during infancy, Dr. Carmen Frontela and her colleagues in the University of Murcia (Spain) tested the effect of the dephytinization of three different commercial infant cereals on iron, calcium, and zinc bioavailability. Their study will be published on April 28, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology In this study, Both dephytinized and non-dephytinized infant cereals were digested using an in vitro digestion protocol adapted to the gastrointestinal conditions of infants younger than 6 mo. Mineral cell retention, transport, and upt
