August 15, 2001[Volume 2, Issue 17]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Low-Iron Diet = Low Math Scores?
• Dietary Fats Affect Childhood Allergies
• Lining up at the Buffet? You May Eat 50 Percent More
• Purple Grape Juice May Combat Cardiovascular Disease

Is your child having problems in math class? A study in the June 2001 issue of Pediatrics indicates that diet may be a factor. The scores of four standardized tests -- math, reading, verbal ability and performance -- were evaluated for a sample of 5,398 children between 6 and 16 years old.

Scores for the tests were derived based on age groups and test scores were compared to cases of iron deficiency. Children identified with iron deficiencies scored much lower in math than children with normal iron levels. Iron-deficient children with anemia averaged 86.4 and iron-deficient children without anemia averaged 87.4 on the math test, compared to a 93.7 average for children with normal iron levels. Also, a greater number of iron-deficient children (with and without anemia) scored below average in math than children with regular iron levels.

Iron deficiency was also more prevalent in girls than in boys. The researchers believe that this may be due to a combination of poor diet and menstrual blood loss. Be sure your child is getting enough iron naturally in his or her diet; some of the best sources of naturally occurring iron include red meat, poultry, beans and whole grains. Coffee, tea and excessive consumption of high-fiber foods decrease the body's ability to absorb iron.

Reference: Halterman JS, Kaczorowski JM, Aligne CA, et al. Iron deficiency and cognitive achievement among school-aged children and adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics June 2001:107(6), pp 1381-1386.

Talk to your doctor of chiropractic about the essentials of a health diet for your children, or visit https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/nutrients.html.

Dietary Fats Affect Childhood Allergies

Kids who suffer from allergies know how lousy they can make you feel, and allergy medications often have side effects like drowsiness. As a result, natural means of preventing the development of hay fever and itchy skin are increasingly being studied. Research on dietary fat intake and its association with allergic reactions is an example -- it has been suspected that eating a lot of unsaturated fat, such as margarine, may be linked to nasal and dermal (skin-related) allergic reactions.

In a recent study in Allergy, researchers evaluated the link between dietary fats and the risk of developing allergies. They examined 462 children, 3 to 18 years old, comparing the occurrence of allergies to dietary information. The children were studied over a nine-year period.

Results indicated that prior to developing allergies, allergy sufferers had used more margarine and less butter than the other children. Also, the level of fatty acids obtained from fish was higher in non-allergic kids than in those with skin allergies.

Providing too much margarine and not enough butter in your child's diet may be related to the development of allergies. Eating fish also may reduce allergy symptoms. More research needs to be done on a possible association between dietary fats and allergies, but in the meanwhile, be sure to provide your child with a balance of dietary fats. For online information on childhood health, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/childhood.html.

Reference: Dunder T, Kuikka L, Turtinen J, et al. Diet, serum fatty acids, and atopic diseases in childhood. Allergy 2001:56, pp 425-428.

Lining up at the Buffet? You May Eat Twice as Much

Faced with a large variety of foods, such as buffets offer, people eat considerably more than they would at a typical meal. Hardly surprising, but do you know how much more? The variety in your diet may influence the amount you eat more than you realize.

According to a recent review of related literature in the Psychological Bulletin, one study reported that subjects given a varied four-course meal ate 44% more food and 60% more calories than subjects given only one food for each of the four courses. The results of another study showed that participants consumed much more yogurt per course when offered three flavors instead of one. Texture, taste and appearance of food may all be related to the amount of food a person consumes.

It's no secret that we're all tempted to overeat when given a choice between a variety of foods. The message is clear: Stay away from the buffets! You can still eat a variety of foods, but select from vegetables and fruits ("good carbs") and low-fat, protein-rich items (skinless turkey, chicken, fish, soy/ tofu). Minimize the "bad carbs": breads, pasta and rice, and make sure that those you do eat are whole-grain products.

Reference: Raynor HA, Epstein LH. Dietary variety, energy regulation, and obesity. Psychological Bulletin 2001:127(3), pp 325-341.

Purple Grape Juice Combats Cardiovascular Disease (and It's Cheaper than Red Wine!)

Moderate red wine consumption reduces the risk of heart problems and protects the body from cardiovascular disease, but the alcohol in it can cause health problems. New research suggests that purple grape juice may provide these same benefits, without the effects of alcohol.

A study in the June 12, 2001 issue of Circulation tested blood samples incubated with purple grape juice, and examined 20 subjects, 20 to 45 years old, who drank purple grape juice daily for two weeks. The purple grape juice inhibited blood clotting and increased antioxidants in both in- and out-of-body tests. Results were dose-dependent: the more juice a person drank, the more dramatic the effect on blood clotting and antioxidant levels.

The beneficial properties in red wine and purple grape juice appear to come from the presence of flavonoids, which are concentrated in the skins, seeds and stems of grapes. Purple and other dark-colored grapes offer much greater concentrations of flavonoid compounds than light-colored grapes.

Reference: Freedman JE, Parker III C, Li L, et al. Select flavonoids and whole juice from purple grapes inhibit platelet function and enhance nitric oxide release. Circulation June 12, 2001:103, pp 2792-2798.

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