Maximizing Recovery and Growth When Treating Moderate Acute Malnutrition with Whey-Containing Supplements

Much debate exists about the utility of dairy ingredients in the supplementary foods used to treat childhood moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).

To review the evidence regarding the effectiveness of dairy-containing supplements, particularly specially formulated foods containing whey permeate and whey protein concentrate, in treating children with MAM.

A summary of a conference presentation regarding an overview of current evidence behind the use of whey in supplementary foods, including results of a randomized double-blinded clinical effectiveness trial involving 2259 Malawian children treated for MAM using either a soy ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) or a novel whey RUSF treatment.

While the majority of the evidence base only suggests potential benefits of including whey in supplementary foods to treat MAM, a recent study specifically demonstrates that a whey RUSF produced superior recovery and growth outcomes in treating children with MAM when compared with a soy RUSF.

The use of whey ingredients has been shown to improve outcomes in the treatment of MAM; however, further research is needed to identify the ideal amount and type of dairy protein required to produce the best outcomes for the lowest cost.