Acute diarrhea is the major cause of death of infants under two years of age, while protein energy malnutrition accounts for over half of all child deaths in developing countries.
Acute and chronic diarrhea cause damage to the lining of the child’s stomach which disrupts their ability to digest and absorb proteins. Breaking down large proteins requires energy and takes time. Infants suffering from acute protein energy malnutrition may die of organ failure as energy required for essential organs is diverted to the digestion process.
Recurrent bouts of diarrhea, coupled with poor nutrition based on staple plant crops such as wheat, maize and rice, result in chronic protein energy malnutrition symptoms, lowering children's resistance to infection and disease due to low bodyweight. They are more likely to die from common ailments and those that do survive have frequent illnesses which sap their strength, locking them in to a cycle of recurring sickness.
In the developed world acute life threatening diarrhea and protein energy malnutrition is treated by administering a cocktail of essential amino acids either into the child’s vein or through a tube directly into the stomach. These amino acid mixtures, unlike whole proteins, are readily absorbed across the gut providing an instant source of energy and facilitating rapid recovery.
Sadly these proprietary life saving amino acid products are very expensive and not readily available throughout the developing world.
In summary, there are two key issues adversely effecting infant nutrition in the developing world setting, the availability of affordable high quality protein foods and access to amino acid based therapeutic foods and medicines for treating acute and chronic protein energy malnutrition.
Working in technical collaboration with International food technology and nutritional scientists, Medicine Mondiale is developing an improved range of a high quality, low cost, predigested protein formulations which may be used to combat acute diarrhea and protein energy malnutrition on a global scale.
These novel products are manufactured from low cost by-products from the meat and fruit industries, utilizing innovative technology to hydrolyze meat and fish proteins into a mixture of free amino acids, peptides and solubilised proteins which are readily absorbed by sick children.
Proteinforte can be manufactured from a number of food sources including beef, chicken and fish. Mixed with natural carbohydrates, the finished product is a nutritionally balanced freeze dried powder, specifically formulated for the treatment of diarrhea and protein energy malnutrition
Proteinforte is supplied in an easily transported 19 gram sachet of freeze dried powder and has a three year expiry period.
Unlike plant based proteins, which typically have very low levels of the amino acid Lysine which limits the rate of digestibility, Proteinforte contains high levels of all essential amino acids required for healthy nutrition and growth.
Proteinforte provides an instant source of energy through the rapid absorption of amino acids and helps to restore normal digestion and represents the perfect balance of amino acids, peptides and solubilised proteins to support healthy development. Individual amino acids provide an instant source of energy and complimentary peptides improve transport of amino acids across the gut and repair damage caused by rotaviruses while solubilised proteins ensure that the normal digestion process is restored. Proteinforte has been specifically developed for use in the treatment and prevention of protein energy malnutrition however, equivalent products are being developed as high tech "Energy" Soups for the proprietary Australasian instant dried soup market.
This is in line with our philosophy of ensuring that those in need in the developing world have access to first world healthcare solutions at an affordable price.