Nutritional compositions which contain slightly negatively charged, non-digestible polysaccharides and use thereof for reducing transport through tight junctions

Abstract

A nutritional composition which contains slightly negatively charged non-digestible polysaccharides having a molecular weight of 8 kD to 40,000 kD, characterized in that the rise in the viscosity of the composition caused by the polysaccharides is less than 20 mpa·s. This nutritional composition is used to reduce the uptake of high molecular weight substances, allergens and microorganisms through the intestinal wall, more particularly to reduce transport of high molecular weight substances, allergens and microorganisms through the intestinal wall, ore particularly to reduce transport of high molecular weight substances, allergens and microorganisms through the tight junctions in the intestines. The nutritional compositions can be used to prevent or to treat allergies, allergic reactions, sepsis and inflammatory processes, such as those which can arise under emotional and physical stress, ischaemia, reperfusion damage during and after operations, following radiation treatment and/or chemotherapy of cancer patients and in the case of inflammatory intestinal diseases, diarrhoea and allergies.

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