Evaluating the impact of an oral nutrition supplement on biochemical profile, growth, and body composition in Indian children: an

Background: Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of an oral nutrition supplement (ONS) intervention on biochemical and growth parameters of Indian children using an Methods: An energetics-based modeling framework was developed to simulate the growth trajectories of children aged 6-16 years, integrating national datasets for Indian children. The model, validated with published literature, was designed to predict the effects of nutritional interventions. This study evaluated the impact of two Horlicks Oral Nutrition Supplement (ONS) formulations with varying micronutrient dosages on key growth outcomes. Various intervention scenarios were simulated, including comparisons of ONS with water vs. milk, and interventions with different nutrient compositions, such as macronutrients alone or a combination of macro- and micronutrients. The primary outcomes of the study focused on both biochemical and physical growth changes. Key serum nutrient levels were analyzed, alongside anthropometric measures such as height, weight, and body composition indicators, including fat-free mass, fat mass, and bone mineral content, over simulated periods of 4, 8, and 12 months. Results: The Conclusion: This study provides important insights into the potential benefits of Horlicks interventions for enhancing child growth outcomes. It underscores the effectiveness of computational models in the preliminary assessment of nutrition interventions, providing foundation for targeted clinical studies to improve child health and development. However, it is important to note that the model benchmarking was conducted using data from the Indian population, and the findings may not be directly applicable to other ethnicities without further validation.