Minor difference, major impact

Betapol® is a more beneficial fat blend than those found in traditional infant formulas because of the unique structure of its fat molecules. Human breast milk contains a variety saturated and unsaturated fatty acids that are connected in groups of three, like tines of a fork, to a glycerol backbone. What is unique about mother’s milk is that an unusually large proportion – about 60%-70% – of the most abundant saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid, is attached to the middle (‘beta’ or sn-2 position) of the triglyceride. The ‘alpha’ (sn-1) and ‘gamma’ (sn-3) positions above and below the beta (sn-2) position are primarily occupied by unsaturated fatty acids.

Glycerol backbone with three fatty acids attached: sn-1 and sn-3 being the outer positions and sn-2 the mid-position. 

In most vegetable fats, which are used in traditional infant formulas, it’s the other way around. Less than 20% of the saturated fatty acid is at the sn-2 (beta) position. This apparently minor difference has a major impact on the infant’s ability to digest, absorb and metabolize nutrients. In Betapol®, up to 55% of the saturated fatty acid is at the sn-2 position, making it the closest match to mother’s milk you can get.