The emergence of medical foods has met the special nutritional or dietary needs of people with restricted food intake, digestive and absorption disorders, metabolic imbalances, or specific disease conditions. Relevant studies have shown that adding human milk oligosaccharides to medical foods can provide energy and nutritional support to patients with special needs, effectively reducing the burden on body tissues and promoting recovery.

Dr. Sara Moukarcel of the University of California, San Diego, found in her long-term research that "the mechanisms by which infants and adults defend against pathogens and chronic diseases are similar. The physiological benefits demonstrated by human milk oligosaccharides in infant formula inspired us to apply them to adults."

Recently, the University of North Carolina released a clinical trial on the improvement of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) through human milk oligosaccharides. The study included 317 IBS patients with an average age of 44, who consumed 5 grams of human milk oligosaccharide mixtures daily. The overall severity of IBS symptoms decreased by 54%, with significant improvement across the three subtypes of IBS (constipation-predominant, diarrhea-predominant, and mixed-type IBS).

The University Medical Center Groningen’s test results showed that human milk oligosaccharides have the ability to regulate immunity through TLR signaling. LNT II (a type of human milk oligosaccharide, also known as lacto-N-triose) can activate NK cells (which have anti-tumor effects and play an important role in immune surveillance of tumor metastasis, hematological malignancies, and solid tumors). Additionally, LNT II can inhibit certain protein molecules in TLPs and may be used to treat immune diseases such as cystic fibrosis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

The "China (Jinan) Medical Food City Industry Development Plan (2021-2030)" predicts that by 2025, the global market size of medical foods will reach 360 billion yuan, with the Chinese market expected to reach about 100 billion yuan. It is foreseeable that as the trend of aging intensifies, the market size of the medical food industry will further expand.