The DIDGI digestive simulator can aid nutritional strategies to reduce undernutrition in older people

Context

As populations age, one challenge in the coming years will be to help older people remain healthy and independent for as long as possible. Ageing well is important to ensure people can carry out some or all of their everyday activities and enjoy a good quality of life. For this study, meal components were enriched with ingredients of high nutritional value. The digestive fate of those ingredients was then studied to determine the kinetics of microand macronutrient availability and any possible interactions. Sensory and techno-functional nutritional criteria as reported by Duval et al. (2021) were used to choose the protein supplementation. Using an unprecedented in vitro approach, researchers added a supplement during the meal preparation stage to provide as much high-quality protein as possible that could be easily assimilated during a meal.

Results

Compared to the control meal, the supplemented meal provided more protein, as was expected. But, protein digestibility was also higher, as shown by the release of larger peptides and free amino acids. Diversifying the source of protein supplements (animal, dairy and pulses) created a balanced profile of essential amino acids in each dish. Another notable result was the sharp increase in leucine released, which was comparable to the range recommended for older people to promote protein anabolism. This was a novel finding because it accounts for both meal complexity and interactions in the digestive tract, despite being an in vitro approach. Finally, it also underscores the benefits of using meal preparations to meet the nutritional needs of older people.

Future outlook

To complement this study, a clinical study was carried out in 10 retirement homes. These enriched meals also led to increased food intake by residents. Longer-term experiments could be conducted to evaluate other beneficial effects of leucine (e.g. improved cognitive function, reduced symptoms of depression) to enhance the quality of life for older people.

Support project

FUI AGINOV project

Contact

Veronique Santé-Lhoutellier UR QuaPA veronique.sante-lhoutellier@inrae.fr