Medium chain triglycerides are often added to preterm formula because they...

Medium chain triglycerides are often added to preterm formula because they...

• A. Are high in cholesterol
• B. Do not require bile salts for absorption
• C. Promote rapid bone mineralization
• D. Stimulate pancreatic enzyme production

Answer: (B)

Fat absorption pathways differ by fatty acid chain length, and this matters in preterm infants with immature digestion. Medium chain triglycerides are shorter and more water-soluble than long-chain fats, so they don’t require bile salts to emulsify or pancreatic lipase to break them down. They are absorbed directly into the portal circulation and carried to the liver, bypassing the need for chylomicron formation and lymphatic transport. In preterm babies, where bile production and pancreatic enzyme activity may be limited, this makes MCTs a more readily absorbed energy source. That’s why they’re added to preterm formula. They aren’t primarily used to raise cholesterol, promote bone mineralization, or stimulate pancreatic enzymes.

Fat absorption pathways differ by fatty acid chain length, and this matters in preterm infants with immature digestion. Medium chain triglycerides are shorter and more water-soluble than long-chain fats, so they don’t require bile salts to emulsify or pancreatic lipase to break them down. They are absorbed directly into the portal circulation and carried to the liver, bypassing the need for chylomicron formation and lymphatic transport. In preterm babies, where bile production and pancreatic enzyme activity may be limited, this makes MCTs a more readily absorbed energy source. That’s why they’re added to preterm formula. They aren’t primarily used to raise cholesterol, promote bone mineralization, or stimulate pancreatic enzymes.