Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A method for facilitating digestion of carbohydrates into simple sugars in warm-blooded animals by maintaining and enhancing the natural disaccharidase enzymatic activity in the mucosal cells of the small intestines. Iron is an essential mineral and other minerals selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, manganese and cobalt are provided in the form of amino acid chelates having a ligand to mineral molar ratio of at least 1:1, a molecular weight of no more than 1500 daltons and a stability constant of between about 10.sup.6 and 10.sup.16 and administered orally. Additionally, magnesium and chromium, as amino acid chelates, may be added to improve disaccharidase activity as may potassium in inorganic salt form or as a 1:1 ligand to potassium amino acid complex. The minerals are taken into the mucosal cells lining the small intestine where they are utilized to facilitate the production and activity of disaccharidase enzymes such as maltases, sucrase and lactase. These enzymes promote the hydrolysis of disaccharides resulting from degradation of more complex carbohydrates or of sucrose and lactose into simple sugars or monosaccharides for absorption from the intestinal tract.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim