Diet complements refer to an array of ingestible products including vitamins, minerals, herbs or extracts and amino acids used to supplement diets. Diet supplements also include food rations for young children as well as fortified complementary foods. Transitioning away from breastfeeding typically begins around six months old; when this happens it requires that foods are introduced when energy and nutrient needs exceed those provided by breastfeeding, as well as being nutritionally appropriate and fed in accordance with child signals of hunger and satiety (2).
Timely
Beginning around 6 months, an infant’s energy needs begin to exceed those provided by breast milk alone and complementary foods are required. If these aren’t introduced at an appropriate time or are given in improper quantities, its development could become compromised and hinder its progress.
Our study demonstrated that mothers were more knowledgeable about infant feeding practices than previously believed; however, their knowledge didn’t translate to optimal complementary feeding practice – they either delayed introduction of complementary foods or failed to meet WHO recommendations for frequency and variety in feeding frequency and variety.
Results indicate that traditional complementary foods in Nigeria tend to have poor nutrient composition, with many lacking micronutrients and often leading to unhealthy eating behaviors like low meal frequency or excessive snacking due to cultural factors or limited availability of nutritious alternative options. Furthermore, our findings reveal that quality is significantly impacted by birth order – this suggests interventions intended to promote appropriate feeding practices must take account of children’s nutritional status, family structure and culture when targeting appropriate feeding practices.
Adequate
At approximately six months old, an infant’s energy and nutrition needs start outstripping those met by breast milk alone and they become ready for other food sources to enter their diet. Guidelines for complementary feeding are to introduce foods gradually while still continuing frequent on-demand breastfeeding and to provide enough appropriate foods at this time. Epidemiological and molecular evidence now links diet and metabolic conditions with inflammation and increased risk for intestinal neoplasia, with complement activation as an integral component. Yet global complementary feeding practices remain far from optimal – including inappropriate timing of food introduction, poor frequency of feeding frequency and limited diet diversity.
Safe
After about six months, an infant’s energy and nutritional requirements exceed those supplied by breast milk; thus they can benefit from other forms of complementary nutrition such as industrially produced fortified complementary foods or homemade family food. When introduced and given according to an infant’s signals of appetite and satiety, fortified complementary foods can be safe and effective solutions.
Dietary fats play an integral part in modulating immune and inflammatory processes. Diets high in saturated fatty acids tend to promote inflammation while diets rich in unsaturated fatty acids – particularly omega-3/-6 – reduce complement activation and proinflammatory cytokines, as demonstrated by studies using fortified oil rich in omega-3/-6 to reduce complement activation and tumorigenesis in mice fed high-fat diets. Reports of adverse events from dietary supplements are invaluable tools that enable FDA to detect potential issues as they protect public health – please visit its webpage on How to Report Problems With Dietary Supplements to report incidents or report them online.
Responsive
Infants no longer meet their energy and nutrient needs from breast milk after six months, so most should begin transitioning to other foods at this age. It is crucial that these other foods be introduced promptly when their energy and nutrient requirements exceed those provided by breast milk; be sufficient in terms of nutrients needed; safe; be stored hygienically before being prepared or fed using clean hands and utensils rather than bottles and teats; responsive; align with children’s hunger signals or signals of fullness/satisfaction/satisfaction/fullness/satisfaction/satisfaction/satisfaction/satisfaction/satisfaction/satisfaction/satisfaction/satisfaction/satisfaction by following these criteria for introduction of new food at 6 months or upon reaching 6 months/ 8 months/ 9 months/ 9 months/9th months/age 9 months/12 months age, thus increasing exposure to new food items that will meet these criteria: timely introduction when energy/nutrient requirements exceed what breast milk provides, adequate in terms of amounts provided via breastmilk alone, safe preparation hygienic storage techniques while fed using clean hands/utensil rather than bottles/tarts etc and responsive ideally consistent with childrens signals of hunger/satisfaction etc.
Our studies suggest that certain dietary fats (high-fat coconut and corn oil) cause complement activation and C5a production in intestinal cells, leading to inflammation and tumorigenesis in genetically susceptible APCmin/+ mice independently of obesity or associated metabolic conditions. This opens new avenues for research on diet-induced inflammatory diseases as well as complement as a potential cancer prevention target; additionally pharmacological and genetic targeting of complement C5a reduces inflammation as well as polyp formation. (58).
