Swiss chemicals group Lonza has patented a method for increasing intestinal absorption of fat soluble vitamins in post-menopausal women.
The patented method, which involves orally administering a fat soluble vitamin and L-Carnitine, is jointly held by US companies Hill's Pet Nutrition (the method also applies to use in pets) and the Kansas State Research Foundation.
The US patent (number 6,476,010) states that because of its metabolic role, L-Carnitine has been shown to be effective in lowering the serum levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, and free fatty acids, while increasing high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. HDL cholesterol prevents the depositing of fats andfatlike substances in the arteries.
While postmenopausal women make up over 15 per cent of the total population in industrialised countries, predicted to increase to 23 per cent by 2030, they are also substantially more susceptible to coronary heart disease, age-related macular degeneration, osteoporosis, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Although this is partly associated with the process of aging and deterioration of bodily functions and the immune systems, evidence suggests that a significant association exists between the risks (or incidence) of certain chronic diseases and the inadequacies or deficiencies of specific nutrients in postmenopausal women.
Current evidence strongly suggests that the compromised body status of lipid-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D and E, is a key factor influencing or contributing to the onset or development of the diseases, the patent concludes.
Lonza Group had sales of SF2.5 billion in 2001.