Food for Thought

• Vegan Diets May Risk Infant's Intellectual Development
• Eating Breakfast Helps Prevent Cavities
• Fish May Decrease Heart Disease
• Milk and Constipation
• Organic Watermelon, Papaya, and Diabetes
• Sugary Soft drinks Raise Risk of Diabetes
• Early Introduction of Infant Cereal Shown to Increase Risk of Diabetes

Vegan Diets May Risk Infant's Intellectual Development

Recently reported to the CDC were two cases of severe Vitamin B-12 deficiency in breastfed infants whose mothers were eating a Vegan diet. The infants showed delays in both mental and physical growth and development. A vegan diet consists of plant based foods only and it is known that the main dietary sources of Vitamin B-12 are meat, diary products and eggs. It is recommended that pregnant or breastfeeding infants and vegan children take a supplement which will provide 100% of the RDA for B-12.

Eating Breakfast Helps Prevent Cavities

A study of 4000 children found 4 times more tooth decay in toddlers and preschoolers who skipped breakfast than kids who did eat breakfast. Additionally, those kids who ate their daily requirement of fruits and veggies were three times less likely to experience cavities. One reason for these findings is that kids who skip breakfast tend to fill up on unhealthy foods throughout the day.

Fish May Decrease Heart Disease

By testing blood levels of CRP (a protein that indicates inflammation in the bloodstream) and DHA (an omega-3 healthy fat found in fish), researchers in Denmark studied 270 patients with heart disease (narrowing of the arteries). They found that people with the narrowest arteries had the highest CRP levels. Earlier studies have also associated high CRP levels with elevated risk of heart attacks. The study also found that people with the lowest CRP levels also had higher levels of DHA. It is thought that DHA and other healthy omega-3 fats may guard against inflammation in the blood stream, which is thought to be one cause of the build-up of plague inside the arteries.

Milk and Constipation

Dating as far back as 1954, medical literature has entertained the possibility that milk intolerance is somehow related to constipation (Pediatric Clinics of North America, 1954; 4:940-962). Recently there has been a well-designed study that proves this possibility to be a reality.

Researchers at the University of Palermo in Italy worked with 65 children with chronic constipation. When dietary measures proved insufficient, the participants were treated with a prescribed laxative, which was also ineffective.

In the study, each child received either cow's milk or soymilk for 2 weeks and then a week during which they could eat and drink anything they wanted. Then they switched sides for 2 weeks and got the milk that they did not receive the first time. The study concluded that the constipation for each child increased while he or she was consuming the cow's milk. However, while they were taking soymilk, 68% of these kids were no longer constipated and the redness, swelling, and fissures on their bottoms healed (New England Journal of Medicine, 1998; 339:1100-1104).

Organic Watermelon, Papaya, and Diabetes

According to an exciting May 19, 2006 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, adding healthy foods to one’s diet may reduce the instance of diabetes. This extensive study followed more than 4000 teens and young adults in the United States for 15 years. Unlike previous studies, instead of relying on people to report what they ate, the investigators measured the nutrient levels in the participant’s blood. Carotenoids are a group of antioxidants found in foods, especially in fruits and vegetables. The higher the level of cartenoids in the participant’s blood, the lower the incidence of diabetes. Among the carotenoids, beta carotene was correlated with the biggest effect. To increase carotenoids in the diet, especially beta carotene, you could add uncooked spinach, or other green, leafy vegetables, raw or lightly steamed carrots, red bell peppers, broccoli, asparagus and/or tomatoes to your diet. Popular options for children also include watermelon, papaya, and apricots. Organic fruits and vegetables are nutritionally superior over their non-organic cousins. In fact, they average about 30 percent higher in antioxidants than non-organic produce.

Sugary Soft drinks Raise Risk of Diabetes

A new study of 91,000 women who consumed one soda per day revealled an 80% increase in their risk of diabetes. When large amounts of sugar are consumed, the body has to work hard to process the sugar. If this goes on day after day, the body’s insulin producing system eventually wears out, and diabetes sets in.

Early Introduction of Infant Cereal Shown to Increase Risk of Diabetes

Here’s news in favor of introducing infant cereal a little later. Two teams of researchers from Denver and Germany showed that infants who were introduced to fiber or rice cereal prior to 4 months of age were 5 times more likely to develop damage to their pancreas and eventual diabetes, compared to infants who were introduced between 4 and 6 months. The theory behind this result is that the infants' immune system overreacts to proteins in the cereals, and this immune reaction attacks the pancreas (just as in Diabetes).