photo credit: DesertNana aka majamom

Chances are you have not had a whole lot of opportunity to ask your family physician or pediatrician about a few rules of thumb for your child’s nutrition. After all, there is hardly any time to talk about nutrition even on a routine wellness visit. Our experience has been no different as the doctor always seems to be in such a big rush to get you out of there!

That is why, I read with great interest an article written by a physician and a registered dietitian published in the American Family Physician, which is a peer reviewed journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The title of this article is Nutrition in Toddlers and it contains a nice table of 7 consensus recommendations you can use to manage your child’s nutrition. I wanted to share them with you in this article.

A toddler diet should include 2-3 servings of milk or other dairy products  per day

Not a problem in most cases unless your child has a milk allergy or intolerance. Milk is a great way to meet your growing child’s calcium and vitamin D needs.

Toddlers older than 2 years old should get 30% of daily calories from fat

Not all fat is bad, even though we live in a world where low fat seems to be the golden rule. What you need to limit is saturated fat or trans fat and watch dietary cholesterol. Very easy to do if you reduce processed foods and rely more on home-cooked meals. Polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats and fatty acids are among the healthy fats you must include in your child’s diet.

Limit fruit juices to no more than 4-6 oz per day and emphasize whole fruits and veggies

It is easy to get comfortable with the no-sugar 100% pure fruit juice label on the box, but fruit juices are no replacement for real fruit. Getting your child to love fruits and veggies takes effort and patience, but don’t give up!

Vitamin supplementation is unnecessary except in undernourished or chronically ill children

I could not agree more! It is natural to worry as a parent, and sometimes feel the pressure to start using a vitamin supplement just to be safe. There days we hear so much about vitamin D deficiency but a supplement is not needed unless your child doesn’t get enough sun exposure or if he does not or cannot drink at least 2 cups of milk. There are situations where you may consider a multivitamin for your toddler, but the general advice is to manage your child’s vitamins and minerals needs through diet and healthy lifestyle.

Good nutritional habits should be fostered by sitting at the table, turning off the television and interacting socially

Sometimes we get so focused on the what of eating, that we forget about the how of feeding! Having a family meal without the distraction of TV or video games is a very powerful way of building lifelong healthy eating habits. Dr Kathleen Cuneo of Dinner Together is an expert in this matter whose opinion I respect a lot. I really like her approach and belief that feeding is parenting. That is what matters in the long run, not the nutritional facts on the label!

Parents should offer children a variety of foods, expose them repeatedly to healthy foods and model healthy eating behaviors

Like it or not, you are a role model for your young child. And when it comes to building lifelong healthy eating habits, your attitude towards food and eating is the most important factor. Being a role model is not difficult; just be consistent and completely natural with your child.

To reassure parents and detect undernourished children, physicians should monitor growth patterns including body mass index

While it is natural to worry if your child falls below the 50th percentile on weight and height growth charts, body mass index is a better tool to assess if your child is overweight or underweight. Body mass index uses both height and weight. It is very easy and you can use an online calculator if you don’t want to wait until your next wellness check appointment.

I think these recommendations pretty much sum up the latest thinking in child nutrition. They are based on sound evidence and practical experience of doctors and dietitians. You don’t have to try to follow all of them on a daily basis. You can try to make them a part of your child’s overall eating habits in the long run. It is also a good idea to tailor your approach to your child’s individual personality without getting hung up on a certain best way to practice them.

Good luck!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

photo credit: sebilden

Salt is in the news these days! A typical American diet is rich in salt because of excessive processed foods and junk foods. Most Americans consume a lot more salt each day than the recommended 2300 mg of sodium (about a teaspoon of salt). Some estimates suggest that adults get an average of 4000 – 6000 mg of sodium while school age children average 3000 – 4000 mg per day. That is clearly a lot!

Do you ever wonder why your child wants to drink a lot more water when they eat salty snacks? Although salt is very important for normal body functions, too much of it forces our body to demand more water so it can be diluted. Our kidneys work overtime to remove excess salt from our body, but they need water to carry it out. That is why sodium content inside our body is directly linked to water balance. A complex system of hormones in our body tries to keep the overall amount of liquid in balance, but consuming too much salt throws it out of balance. What is more of a problem is that our heart has to work against all this liquid which causes our blood pressure to rise. Done too frequently, this can lead to chronic high blood pressure and heart disease.

So what can you do? Here are a few tips:

• First, be aware of sodium requirements in children – estimated minimum requirement for sodium in healthy children ranges from about 200 mg per day for 1 year old to about 500 mg per day in  children 6 and up.
• Read the nutrition facts label on processed foods – we try to stay away from products that contain more than 15% of daily sodium per serving. Unfortunately, hot dogs and french fries fall in this category!
• Get your kids interested in eating a home-cooked meal – this is probably a lot more difficult in practice. All I can say is that you got to keep trying and set a standard of family meals as a daily ritual.
• Get rid of the salt shaker – a teaspoon of salt is really not a whole lot. Resist the urge to reach for the salt shaker on your table. If your kids don’t see you using it, they are less likely to reach for it.
• Say NO to processed meats – salt is a natural preservative and most processed meat is prepared with a lot of salt. Reducing your meat consumption is a good idea, and when you do, get fresh and uncooked meat which you can prepare at home.
• Eat more veggies, either steamed, grilled or raw – vegetables and other plant based foods are the best choice when you are trying to control your family’s salt intake. Nothing wrong in enjoying your favorite recipe that calls for salt, but they are most healthy when eaten raw, steamed or grilled. Saute in olive oil with onions and tomato paste if you want to add a little bit of flavor.

Both salt and water are critical for our survival and growth. We can’t live without them. Like everything else, too much of a good thing is not good either. With a little planning and preparation you can ensure a healthy balance.

Here are a few good resources on salt and managing it in your family’s diet

Shake your salt habit – American Heart Association
What can I use instead of salt – American Heart Association
5 ways to cut back on salt – WebMD
Salt: The Spice of Life or the Taste of Doom – The Yale Guide to Children’s Nutrition

Parents: what has worked for you in reducing your family’s salt intake? Share your tips below in comments.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

photo credit: sly06

A recent article in the Pediatricss journal reported data on serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the active form of vitamin D in blood and asked this question Do Children Need More vitamin D? There is a lot of buzz in the media these days about deficiency of vitamin D, especially in kids. Beyond the screaming headlines and soundbites, it is important to look at the data an scientific way before jumping to conclusions.

In this article,  I will first provide a brief background on vitamin D and explain why it is a concern these days especially for growing children. Second, I will describe the design of the Pediatric study and methods used to analyze data. Finally, I will summarize the results to support some of the key conclusions of this study.

Let me first say that there is no consensus on the threshold level of vitamin D in blood below which a child is considered deficient. Still, the authors concluded that millions of US children aged 1-11 years may have sub-optimal levels of vitamin D, especially non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children. However, more research is needed before a decision can be made about recommending vitamin D supplementation in children.

Vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin!

Vitamin D is produced when our skin is exposed to the UV-B rays from the sun. That is why, sometimes it is also called the sunshine vitamin. It is also available from a few limited food sources such as milk, fortified orange juice and cereals, and fish such as salmon, mackerel, cod and herring. Vitamin D supplements are also available from both synthetic and natural sources. Deficiency of vitamin D is known to cause rickets, a condition which involves bone loss and deformation. Because vitamin D is also a prohormone, meaning it is involved in proper functioning of other hormones, recent research is linking vitamin D deficiency with many other diseases like diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.

Why the concern then? Well, the problem is that many parts of the world do not get enough sunlight through the year. When we do manage to get some sun, we have a tendency to overuse sunscreen because of the risk of skin cancer. Don’t stop doing that, but be aware that sunscreen blocks the UVB rays responsible for vitamin D production. As for nutrition, we know that children are picky eaters. They hardly eat fish or drink enough milk. Junk food has little vitamin D. Because of these reasons, there is a concern that kids are not getting enough vitamin D.

The Pediatrics study analyzed 2001-2006 NHANES data for kids 1-11 years old

Because of the concern over vitamin D, the Pediatrics article is very timely. Researchers from Harvard, Mass General Hospital and University of Colorado analyzed the NHANES data from 2001 – 2006, which is collected every 2 years by the National Center for Health Statistics. The NHANES uses a 4-stage sampling strategy to represent households across the country. It tends to oversample low income groups, blacks and Mexican Americans. However, statistical methods including appropriate weights are available to extrapolate the results to a nationally representative population.

In this study, the researchers obtained serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D – the “active” form of vitamin D present in the blood. They also had household interview data about the demographic, socio-economic status and vitamin use. Sample size for kids 6-11 years old from 2001-2006 was 3421 for household interview data and 2759 for serum 25(OH)D data. Sample size for kids 1-5 years old from 2003 – 2006 was 2677 for household interview data and 1799 for serum 25(OH)D data.

Serum levels were categorized as <25, <50 and <75 nmol/L. Although, there is no consensus on what constitutes as the level of deficiency in children, the Institute of Medicine has set it at less than 27.5 nmol/L while the Canadian Pediatric Society has set it at less than 25 nmol/L. Recently, a level of less than 50 nmol/L has been found to be linked to some level of bone demineralization.  In adults, recent studies demonstrated that healthy levels of serum 25(OH)D may be as high as 75 nmol/L or even higher. That is why, the researchers decided to look at prevalence data for the nationally representative population of 1-11 years old children at these 3 different levels.

Average blood levels do not show deficiency, but experts believe most kids have lower than desired level of vitamin D

The mean serum level for children 1-11 was 68 nmol/L. Children aged 6-11 had a slightly lower mean level at 66 compared to those aged 1-5 at 70 nmol/L.

When taken as a whole, following prevalence levels were found:
< 25 = 1%, < 50 = 18% and < 75 = 69%

In terms of actual population numbers, this translates to 320,000 children below less than 25, 6.3 million less than 50 and 24 million less than 75. If the “average” values of the serum level gave you a sense of comfort, simply look at these prevalence numbers. Amazing!

If you consider the level of 75 nmol/L or higher as optimal, like most experts, the prevalence of serum levels below 75 was higher for non-Hispanic blacks at 92% and Hispanic at 80% compared to non-Hispanic white children at 59%. In terms of numbers, 2 out of every 3 children in the US are below this level, and nearly all of the non-Hispanic black and Hispanic children are below this threshold. If the threshold is changed to <50, then over half of non-Hispanic black children 6-11 years old fall in this category.

The current daily recommended intake from the Academy of Pediatrics is 400 IU/day. Experts believe that this is insufficient to raise the serum levels to >50 or >75 and that vitamin D supplementation may be needed in at-risk populations.

More vitamin D is good for children, but do not jump to supplements right away!

Coming back to the original question “do children need more vitamin D”, the short answer is YES. It may be tempting to simply get on a daily supplement. But I think we should try to first make small changes in our lifestyle and eating patterns. Nature did not intend us to be deficient in vitamin D, even though she gave us all a different skin color. The fact that we see low numbers in our population is a result of our lifestyle and poor diet. Get active, get outdoors – even 10-15 minutes of sun exposure on your arms and legs without sunscreen is enough. Of course, you should worry about skin cancer and use sunscreen before it is too late. Get your kids to eat healthy including a diet rich in dairy and fish unless there is an allergy problem. There are many natural ways to ensure your child gets enough vitamin D before deciding to take a supplement.

Parents – are you concerned that your child may have a vitamin D deficiency? What steps are you planning to take? Share in your comments below.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

In response to last week’s article How Worried Should You Be About Your Underweight Child, Cara shared her struggle with her son’s slow growth and weight gain due to gastroparesis. In her comment, she explained that it means delayed gastric emptying which keeps her son’s stomach full so he never feels hungry. This obviously leads to malnutrition and poor weight gain.

I did some research on this topic because I did not know anything about it. In this article I want to share a few facts and links to several good resources with you:

1. Gastroparesis results from damage to the vagus nerve which controls the movement of food from stomach to the intestines.
2. Typically, this condition is seen in people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. However, there are many cases where the exact cause is not known. Cara’s son, unfortunately, happens to be in this situation where the cause cannot be determined even after extensive medical tests.
3. Gastroparesis can also be caused by surgery in the stomach area, viral infections, several medications, bulimia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), nervous system diseases and metabolic  disorders.
4. It can be acute or chronic. Symptoms include heartburn, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, pain in the abdomen, irregular blood glucose levels, lack of appetite, feeling of fullness and reflux. Lately, there is a recognition that the diagnosis of gastroparesis be reserved for patients where it is prolonged and grossly delayed. Symptoms in many cases are modest and temporary.
5. New techniques for evaluation of symptoms are now available, including the SmartPill GI Monitoring System. Medications are also available – talk to your doctor if you are concerned about these symptoms.
6. Other treatment options include dietary changes in terms of amount, frequency and type of food. Avoiding high fat and high fiber foods may help. Talk to your doctor or dietitian before making any changes.
7. In extreme, and very unfortunate, situations a feeding tube may need to be used. The feeding tube bypasses the stomach to deliver nutrients and medications directly to the small intestine. In some other cases, liquid nutrients may need to be directly injected into blood bypassing the digestive system entirely.

Here are a few good links for further reading:

Gastroparesis - a 6-page primer from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Living with diabetes and gastroparesis – American Diabetes Association
gastroparesis-prevalence – article from Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology (warning: very technical!)
Overview and treatment options at the Mayo Clinic
Resource page on Cara’s blog

Please feel free to share your own experience if you or someone else in your family and friends is facing this unfortunate situation.

Cranberry juice is a favorite of our daughter who insists on drinking it in her favorite monkey cup! We get the no sugar added, 100% juice from our local Publix supermarket. There are many different types available, although we tend to pick either the pure cranberry juice or cranberry & blueberry blend.

It is commonly believed that cranberry juice prevents urinary tract infections (UTIs), but the science behind this belief has not been that strong. Recently, a team of researchers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts has shown that drinking cranberry juice can prevent UTI causing bacteria such as E. coli from sticking to the urinary tract and forming a biofilm in it. Bacteria present in a biofilm are responsible for causing and sustaining a UTI. There are certain chemical compounds called proanthocyanidin in cranberry juice which have been shown to prevent these bacteria from sticking to surfaces. This effect of cranberry juice is thought to last between 6 – 24  hours after drinking.

Here is what we like about this product -

1. No sugar added, artificial flavors or colors
2. Added vitamin C

Here is what we don’t like about this product -

1. Even without added sugar, each serving of 1 cup has 36 g sugar! Granted it is coming from fruits, but clearly loading up on cranberry juice is sure to interfere with normal foods including real fruits and veggies. Portion control is a must! Or dilute it with water.
2. It contains a blend of various juices including grape, apple, cranberry and blueberry juice. It is not clear if cranberry juice is the major portion of the mixture.

Overall, we still like this product because it offers more benefits compared to other fruit juices. However we are recommending that you use it in moderation and emphasize real fruits and veggies.

Disclaimer – I have not received any sponsorship or free samples of product from OceanSpray for writing this review. For complete nutritional information and other products, visit OceanSpray’s website.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Just like thiamin and riboflavin, which I wrote about recently, niacin is another B vitamin commonly found in fortified foods such as cereals, breads from enriched flour, pasta, sauces, baby foods, energy drinks. In case you have wondered what it is and why it is needed, here is some research for you in a simple Q&A format. Let me know what you think of this format and if you have any other questions that I did not cover here. I will get them answered by one of our experts and post them under Ask the Expert column.

What is Niacin?

Niacin is also known as vitamin B3, one of the 8 B vitamins needed for many important cell functions inside our body. In short, they are needed for healthy functioning and growth of child’s body. Together they are also known as vitamin B complex especially in nutritional supplements.

Sometimes, the word niacin is also used for nicotinic acid and nicotinamide or niacinamide. It can get very confusing, especially because most fortified foods contain nicotinamide as a nutritional supplement and the ingredient list may not explicitly show niacin. Although they are chemically different, the thing to remember is that they all do pretty much the same thing inside the body.

Niacin, like the other B vitamins, is soluble in water. Just like riboflavin, niacin is also involved in production of energy at the cellular level. It is also responsible for synthesis of fatty acids, cholesterol and steroids. Even more importantly, it is involved in gene expression, that is production of proteins when genes become active. When taken as a medical treatment, niacin lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases good cholesterol (HDL) and reverses the clogging of arteries. Of course, you should not rely on supplements to achieve this effect if you have a cholesterol problem; you need to see a doctor!

Why does my child need it?

According to the 2nd edition of the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, niacin is involved in the conversion of carbohydrates, fat and protein into energy required for cell functions. It plays an important role in regulating your child’s metabolism and growth.

There is some recent research which shows a preventive effect of nicotinamide for type I diabetes. The data is far from conclusive, so you should talk to your doctor if you suspect your child might have a risk of type I diabetes because of family history or another medical condition.

How much niacin should my child be getting?
What are good sources of niacin?

For infants, the FDA has recommended a daily amount of 8 mg. And for toddlers less than 4 years old, the recommendation is 9 mg. Pregnant and nursing women are recommended to take about 20 mg per day. Healthy adults are also advised to take about 20 mg per day.

Niacin is usually present in meat, poultry, yeast, fish (salmon, tuna), whole grains, fortified cereals, breads made from enriched flour. Leafy green vegetables and milk also provide some niacin.  Here are a few examples of different food sources and amount of niacin per serving (source: wikipedia and Linus Pauling Institute):

1. Chicken, 3 oz (deck of cards), cooked = 7.3 mg
2. Turkey, 3 oz = 5.8 mg
3. Salmon, 3 oz = 8.5 mg
4. Fortified breakfast cereal, 1 cup = 5 mg
5. Portabella mushrooms, 3.5 oz = 3.6 mg
6. Lentils, 1 cup = 2.1 mg
7. Hazelnut, 100 g = 1.5 mg
8. Peanuts, 1 oz = 3.8 mg
9. Broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots = 0.6 – 1.2 mg
10. Avocado, 100 g = 1.7 mg

It is not common  to get excessive amounts of niacin from food sources.

What happens if my child does not get enough niacin?

According to the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, niacin deficiency causes pellagra, which these days is very rare in the developed countries. In the old times, pellagra was a condition that resulted in dermatitis, dementia and diarrhea and even death.

Should I be concerned about niacin deficiency?

The short answer is no. There is a risk with corn rich diets unless the corn is processed in a certain way to release the niacin from its bound form. Too many refined carbohydrates, unless enriched with niacin – which they commonly are – can also present a risk. If you have known problems with digestion and absorption of food,  your doctor can advise a proper treatment including supplements.

What do you think? What changes, if any, would you consider making to your child’s diet so she gets enough niacin?

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Just like thiamin, which I wrote about recently, riboflavin is another B vitamin commonly found in fortified foods such as cereals, enriched flour, pasta, sauces, baby foods, energy drinks.  In case you have wondered what it is and why it is needed, here is some research for you in a simple Q&A format. I am following up on my article on vitamin A from a few weeks ago. Let me know what you think of this format and if you have any other questions that I did not cover here. I will get them answered by one of our experts and post them under Ask the Expert column.

What is Riboflavin?

Riboflavin is also known as vitamin B2, one of the 8 B vitamins needed for many important cell functions inside our body. In short, they are needed for healthy functioning and growth of child’s body. Together they are also known as vitamin B complex especially in nutritional supplements.

Riboflavin, like the other B vitamins, is soluble in water. Cells in our body need energy produced by special biochemical reactions. Certain types of enzymes help these reactions happen, but they too need help from coenzymes produced by riboflavin. Obviously, this is very complex chemistry, but the point is that riboflavin is an important player in the chemical reactions that produce energy at the cellular level. Recently, high doses of riboflavin have been found effective in preventing migraine headaches. Seek medical advice before using riboflavin for migraines.

It is also used as a food coloring because of its yellow or yellow-orange color. The more soluble riboflavin 5′-phosphate is called the E101 food color.

Why does my child need it?

According to the 2nd edition of the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, riboflavin is involved in the conversion of carbohydrates, fat and protein into energy required for cell functions. Riboflavin also has antioxidant activity which protects your body from reactive oxygen radicals. Just like the other B vitamins, riboflavin plays an important role in your child’s metabolism.

How much Riboflavin should my child be getting?
What are good sources of Riboflavin?

For infants, the FDA has recommended a daily amount of 0.6 mg. And for toddlers less than 4 years old, the recommendation is 0.8 mg. Pregnant and nursing women are recommended to take about 2  mg per day. Healthy adults are advised to take about 1.7 mg per day.

Riboflavin is usually present in most plant and animal food sources although in small amounts. Yeast extract is exceptionally rich in riboflavin, and organ meats like liver and kidney are also good sources. Here are a few examples of different food sources and amount of riboflavin per serving (source: wikipedia and Linus Pauling Institute):

1. Cooked spinach, half cup = 0.2 mg
2. Asparagus, about 6 spears = 0.14 mg
3. Almonds, cooked, 1 cup = 0.8 mg
4. Fortified breakfast cereals, 1 cup = 0.5 – 2.0 mg
5. Milk, 1 cup = 0.34 mg
6. Egg, cooked, 1 large = 0.27 mg
7. Cheddar cheese, 1oz = 0.11 mg
8. Fish, salmon or halibut, 3 oz (deck of cards) = 0.1 mg
9. Chicken/beef, cooked, 3 oz = 0.16 mg
10. Bread, whole grain or enriched flour, 1 slice = 0.08 mg

Riboflavin is destroyed by ultraviolet light. As you can see, riboflavin is naturally available in many common food sources. There is really no need to look for a nutritional supplement for riboflvain although you will find many multivitamin products on the market. Check out my review of some of the popular kids brands of multivitamins.

Riboflavin is well tolerated without any adverse effects. There is no reason, however, to take a high dose of riboflvain supplement.

What happens if my child does not get enough riboflavin?

According to the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, riboflavin deficiency (also known as ariboflavinosis) can cause any of the following conditions:

1. Cracked or sore lips, especially on the outer corners
2. Sore throat, redness or swelling of the lining of the mouth
3. Magenta tongue
4. Skin lesions, dermatitis
5. Poor iron metabolism and absorption, lower hemoglobin levels
6. Vascularization of the cornea

These symptoms are medical conditions and should be interpreted by a doctor. It is not common for riboflavin deficiency to occur in isolation. Usually it happens when a lot of other vitamins are also absent because of poor nutrition, digestive disorders or other medical conditions.

Should I be concerned about riboflavin deficiency?

Since riboflvain is commonly available in many foods and cereals, it should not be a big concern. However, if your child’s diet is mainly junk food and not enough whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables, you may want to pay attention to his overall vitamin B needs.

What do you think? What changes, if any, would you consider making to your child’s diet so she gets enough riboflvain? Do you have recipes that use food sources rich in riboflavin? I would love to hear from you!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

If you read nutrition facts labels, especially on breakfast cereals, you may have noticed thiamin in the long list of vitamins and minerals. In case you have wondered what it is and why it is needed, here is some research for you in a simple Q&A format. I am following up on my article on vitamin A from a couple of weeks ago. Let me know what you think of this format and if you have any other questions that I did not cover here. I will get them answered by one of our experts and post them under Ask the Expert column.

What is Thiamin?

Thiamin is also known as vitamin B1, one of the 8 B vitamins needed for many important cell functions inside our body. In short, they are needed for healthy functioning and growth of child’s body. Together they are also known as vitamin B complex especially in nutritional supplements.

Thiamin, like the other B vitamins, is soluble in water. It was one of the first chemicals to be considered a vitamin early in the 1930′s when researchers discovered that thiamin deficiency caused beriberi (also known as extreme weakness). People with beriberi have difficulty standing, walking and controlling their muscles.

Why does my child need it?

According to the 2nd edition of the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, Thiamin is involved in the conversion of carbohydrates into energy required for cell functions. It also helps convert some of the amino acids into proteins.

How much Thiamin should my child be getting?
What are good sources of Thiamin?

For infants, the FDA has recommended a daily amount of 0.3 – 0.5 mg. And for toddlers less than 4 years old, the recommendation is 0.7 mg. Pregnant and nursing women are recommended to take about 1.7 mg per day. Healthy adults are advised to take about 1.5 mg per day.

The best sources of Thiamin are whole grain foods and fortified cereals. Most cereals are fortified thiamin hydrochloride and thiamin mononitrate (check the label). Here are a few examples of different food sources and amount of thiamin per serving:

1. Whole wheat bread, one slice = 0.1 mg
2. Brown rice, cooked, 1 cup = 0.19 mg
3. Enriched white rice, cooked, 1 cup = 0.26 mg
4. Fortified breakfast cereals, 1 cup = 0.5 – 2.0 mg
5. Lentils, cooked, 1 cup = 0.17 mg
6. Pork chopped, cooked, 3 oz = 0.8 mg
7. Orange juice, 1 cup = 0.1 mg
8. Sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup = 0.8 mg
9. Spinach, cooked, 1/2 cup = 0.09 mg
10. Wheat germ cereal, 1 cup = 4.47 mg

As you can see, thiamin is naturally available in many common food sources. There is really no need to look for a nutritional supplement for thiamin although you will find many multivitamin products on the market. Check out my review of some of the popular kids brands of multivitamins.

Research has not shown any harmful effects of overdose of thiamin from foods or supplements. Oral thiamin is well tolerated upto 200 mg daily or higher (it is over a 100 times more than the recommended value). There is no reason, however, to take a high dose of thiamin supplement.

What happens if my child does not get enough thiamin?

According to the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, thiamin deficiency can cause any of the following conditions:

1. Cognitive and emotional changes – in short, it may affect memory and mood.
2. Although anemia (decrease in number of red cells) is not a direct result of thiamin deficiency, certain kinds of anemia respond well to thiamin treatment. It is understood this could be due to reduced absorption of thiamin or problems in conversion of thiamin inside cells.
3. Extreme deficiency of thiamin causes beriberi. Dry beriberi affects the muscles in the lower legs and feet. Wet beriberi involves the heart and blood circulation. The most extreme form of wet beriberi is called Shoshin beriberi, which can result in death if not promptly treated. Another form of beriberi is cerberal beriberi (Wernicke-Korsakoff) which affects the nervous system and causes problems with eye movement and even mental health.
4. Although not well-researched, some people think that thiamin deficiency may be involved in ADHD.

Thiamin deficiency is generally a problem with severe sustained malnutrition and alcohol abuse. Most healthy kids and adults with normal eating habits and lifestyle should not have to worry about it.

Should I be concerned about thiamin deficiency?

Since thiamin is so commonly available in many foods and cereals, it should not be a big concern. However, we live in the world of fast food which is usually made from refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates, unless enriched, do not contain enough thiamin. In fact, the reason why they found out about beriberi was because it was first seen in people of Asia who mainly ate polished rice. If your child’s diet is mainly junk food and not enough whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables, you may want to pay attention to his vitamin B needs.

What do you think? What changes, if any, would you consider making to your child’s diet so she gets enough thiamin? Do you have recipes that use food sources rich in thiamin? I would love to hear from you!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

There is a reason why you might remember grandma’s eat your carrots advice! Vitamin A is really a very important vitamin for both you and your child. There is more to vitamin A than carrots though! That is why I thought of researching this topic  from a variety of sources and writing about it in a simple Q&A format. Let me know how you like it! Feel free to share your ideas, opinions and unique insight on this subject.

What is vitamin A?

Vitamin A is a general name for a class of nutrients which are important for our health, particularly eye health. Chemically, they are related to a substance called retinol. Most vitamin A supplements are formulated to have a certain form of retinol, for example retinyl palmitate or retinyl acetate. These compounds are soluble in fat. They are stored in the liver when taken from diet or supplements.

You might have heard that carrots are a good source of vitamin A. Well, that is only partly true. Carrots in fact contain a compound called beta-carotene, which is what gives the orange color. Beta-carotene is not vitamin A, but a provitamin A; that is, it is converted to vitamin A when it is absorbed in our intestines.

Why does my child need it?

Vitamin A is very important for a growing child. According to the 2nd edition of the PDR for Nutritional Supplements, vitamin A is critical for healthy vision and its deficiency is known to cause night blindness. It is also important for healthy skin, bone development, brain development and development of blood cells. It also supports proper functioning of our immune system.

How much vitamin A should my child be getting?
What are good sources of vitamin A?

In general, the daily recommended amount of vitamin A is 5000 IU (IU means International Units). For infants, however, the FDA has recommended a daily amount of 1500 IU. And for toddlers less than 4 years old, the recommendation is 2500 IU.

Since breastmilk is one of the best sources of vitamin A, the FDA recommends a daily amount of 8000 IU for pregnant and nursing women.

Now, if you are using a supplement, it is easy to keep track of the IU’s. But what if you are relying on fruits, veggies and other dietary sources of vitamin A? Here are a few guidelines for you (ref: Wikipedia.org):

1. One serving of milk (1 cup) typically has 10% of the recommended daily amount (RDA)
2. 1 hard-boiled egg (yolk) has about 10% of the RDA
3. 100 g of raw carrots will provide close to 100% of the RDA
4. 100 g of sweet potato will deliver about 80% of the RDA
5. 100 g of spinach has about 50%, collard greens about 40%, kale about 80%, pumpkin about 40% of the RDA
6. Cantaloupe, apricot, papaya, mango etc have lower amounts, but they are a good, diverse source of vitamins and minerals
7. Liver (beef, pork, turkey, chicken, fish) is a very rich source of vitamin A; 100 g provides over 700% of the RDA!

If you are using a supplement, be careful not to exceed the recommended dose and frequency. Also, select a brand known for using high purity ingredients. Check out my review of some of the popular kids brands of multivitamins.

What happens if my child does not get enough vitamin A?

When vitamin A rich foods are missing from your child’s diet over a long period of time, and you are not using any supplements, there is a possibility that your child may develop vitamin A deficiency. In case of certain medical conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Whipple’s disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, pancreatic disease and liver disease, there may be a problem with absorption of not only vitamin A from food but also other essential nutrients. Chances are, you are already consulting with a doctor if you are in this situation. If not, you should talk to your doctor about it as soon as possible.

In the rare case (at least in the developed countries), if your child does not get enough vitamin A and develops a deficiency, it can lead to dry eye and vision problems including night blindness. The range of vision problems associated with vitamin A deficiency is called xerophthalmia (xeros means dryness, ophthalmia means of the eye). It can make your child more prone to infections and compromise his immune system. Under extreme conditions, it can also slow down the child’s growth.

Should I be concerned about vitamin A deficiency?
Since vitamin A is stored in the liver, you do not need to worry about it on a day-to-day basis as long as your child is getting a balanced diet on average which includes a nice blend of fruits, veggies, dairy and meat products. In most of the developed countries, vitamin A deficiency is not a problem.

Having said that, clinical vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a big problem in poor countries of Africa and Asia according to this World Health Organization (WHO) report. Unicef’s childinfo.org has a nice summary of the global vitamin A deficiency problem, especially among children, which indicates that over 5 million children of pre-school age could have clinical VAD. And as many as 190 million pre-school age children and 19 million pregnant or nursing women do not have enough vitamin A in their daily diet, which puts them at a very high risk of VAD. This should be troubling to us even though it may not affect us directly in the developed world.

What do you think? What changes, if any, would you consider making to your child’s diet so she gets enough vitamin A? Do you have recipes that use vitamin A rich ingredients? I would love to hear from you!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Plenty of news about deficiency of vitamin D in children these days and plenty of advice on how to get it from foods like fish and milk or supplements. But did you know that UV light zapped mushrooms are full of vitamin D? UV light from the sun is what makes vitamin D in our own skin. This is a great way to enhance the vitamin D content of mushrooms without any additives. Mushrooms are also a good source of vitamin B, iron, protein and fiber.

This is good news for those who may be allergic to fish or dairy, or simply want to look for more options before getting on the vitamin D supplements bandwagon. The US Department of Agriculture has been actively developing a method to treat common mushrooms (white, portobello etc.) with help from Monterey Mushrooms, a large national-level producers of fresh mushrooms. Although, we have not stumbled upon it in our local store, they now have the  Sun Bella brand UV-treated mushrooms available in major supermarkets nationwide.

There is another competing method of treating mushrooms using high energy flashes of UV light. This patent-pending method has been developed by the Xenon Corporation and used by Dole in treating their portobello mushrooms. I am sure they will soon hit the store shelves all over if not already there.

The reason it works is that mushrooms contain a sterol (a class of chemical compounds, for example cholesterol) called ergosterol, which is converted to vitamin D2 (also known as ergocalciferol) when it is exposed to UV light. It appears that a strong focused exposure to UV light is needed for conversion because it does not happen on its own when mushrooms are cultivated.

The other form of  vitamin D available from food, especially animal sources, is vitamin D3 (also known as cholecalciferol). Vitamin D3 is more effective than vitamin D2 in raising the blood levels measured in a typical test.

I think this is great news, although I am sure these companies will charge a premium for the vitamin D “enhanced” mushrooms. Look for them in your supermarkets and let me know if you come across any other brands.

Photo source: Wikimedia
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

Last week I wrote about the mystery of enriched flour, which on the surface appears healthy but in reality not as good as whole grain. In response, a reader wondered:

What about rice? Why is white rice called not so healthy compared to brown rice…is it because the first one is polished and the latter one is not?

We don’t normally eat brown rice because we prefer basmati rice. In fact, we eat it almost every day at dinner. It tastes great and has a low glycemic index. So, I decided to research this question to confirm if brown rice is nutritionally superior to white rice.

The short answer is YES!

Just like the process of milling wheat removes the bran and the nutrient-rich germ to leave behind carbohydrate-rich endosperm, milling rice does the same to produce white rice. During my research, I found a great website called the Cereal Knowledge Bank from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), which is a Philippines-based non-profit agricultural research organization. Here is a link to a great summary of modern rice milling.

After pre-cleaning the rice paddy, the husk is removed. What you get at this stage is brown rice; this is the whole grain. Which means that it contains the bran, the endosperm and the germ. Polishing removes the bran layer from the brown rice. The amount of bran removed is called the milling degree and it is usually in the range of 8 – 12%. The higher the degree of milling, the higher is the amount of vitamin and oil-rich layers removed. Finally, whole kernels are separated from large and small broken kernels and polished further to add luster.

Here is a comparison of nutrients in brown rice and white rice on a 100g cooked basis. White rice is of un-enriched variety. Source: USDA Nutrient Database.

Red is “bad”, yellow is “about the same” and green is “better” compared to brown rice.

Overall, white rice contains a much lower amount of dietary fiber, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Brown rice is definitely better from a nutritional value point of view. The problem is that the oils from the bran layer can oxidize and turn the rice rancid in as few as 6 months. Brown rice therefore comes with an expiration date! Also, it takes longer to cook, the taste is chewy and it does not come out as fluffy as white rice.

Does it mean you should stop eating white rice and switch completely to brown rice? Definitely not! If you are eating  a lot of high glycemic index white rice (jasmine rice for example), it will be better to consider switching to brown rice at least a few times. And if you simply can’t give up white rice, try white basmati rice!

Photo source: Photoxpress
©2009 Littletomaks.com

Over the weekend I was looking at the ingredient list of freshly baked bread that we got from our local Publix supermarket. What caught my eye was the very first ingredient called enriched flour. At first it appeared to be a good thing. After all, look at what all it contains:

Enriched flour – wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid

Niacin is vitamin B3 needed for DNA repair and production of steroid hormones. Lack of vitamin B3 results in Pellagra, a disease of 4 D’s: diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia and death!

Reduced iron is simply a form of iron added to the flour. Iron is essential for all living organisms and its deficiency causes anemia where blood hemoglobin gets to low levels.

Thiamine Mononitrate is vitamin B1 and its deficiency causes beriberi which affects the nervous system.

Riboflavin is vitamin B2 is needed for metabolism of fats, carbs and proteins. Its deficiency causes inflammation in eyes, mouth and throat.

Folic acid is needed for a lot of different bodily functions especially at a time of cell division and growth (pregnancy and early childhood). Folate deficiency results in loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness, headaches, heart palpitations and behavioral disorders.

So on the surface, all this looks good since enriched flour is giving you iron and important B vitamins. What can be wrong with it you wonder.

Well, the main question is why they need to add them to flour in the first place since wheat contains these nutrients anyway!

Simply grind the wheat, turn it into flour and forget about all this processing and enrichment. Turns out, things are not so simple.

Customers love the looks of bright, white flour. But enriching is necessary because the processing used to make white flour destroys some of these nutrients that originally were present in the whole grain. So, FDA forces producers to add these important nutrients so that they don’t have to face the public health nightmare resulting from their deficiency. This makes everybody happy – customers get the white flour they like, producers make a profit and FDA doesn’t have to deal with public health problems.

But is that really true?

Vitamins, minerals and oils are stored inside the germ of the whole grain, protected by the bran so they can continue to nourish the seed. The carbohydrates and proteins are stored inside the endosperm which is also protected by the bran. The milling process of turning wheat into white flour removes the barn and the germ, so all you are left with are the carbs and proteins from the endosperm. High surface area of the flour causes very rapid release of sugar in your blood when you eat stuff made from white flour. Insulin levels have to go up to correct this sugar surge. Done a lot of times, this can lead to insulin resistance and Type II diabetes. You can add back vitamins and minerals and feel good about it, but the problem of sugar over time is the one we need to worry about.

Next time, go for whole grain bread instead of the white bread. I know it tastes so good, and it is ok to consume it in moderation; but over eating baked foods made from the so called enriched white flour is a long term health risk.

Photo Sources:
White Bread – PhotoExpress
Whole Grain Kernel – Wikimedia Commons
©2009 Littlestomaks.com

It has a funny name, but it’s nutritional value is not a joke!

Honestly, we did not know about quinoa until very recently, and chances are it hasn’t yet gotten on your shopping list either. Check it out; in fact it is so nutritious that at one point even NASA looked at it for long duration space flight missions!

Here are a few interesting facts about quinoa, tips for cooking and a few simple recipes.

It looks like a grain but it is not

Quinoa (pronounced as keen-wa or kin-wa) sold in stores is actually a seed of the plant, which is closely related to plant species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweeds. According to the wikipedia entry on quinoa, it is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass. Rice, wheat, barely, maize, oats are examples of cereals. Usually it is pale yellow in color, but some of the species can be of different colors. For example, recently we got red quinoa:

Check out this article for more details on the history of quinoa.

It is super easy to cook

We cook it almost exactly the same way we cook basmati rice.

Mix 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa in a large saucepan. Add a little olive oil and stir well to mix. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and cover tightly. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until all water is absorbed and quinoa is soft. When cooked, the grain appears soft and translucent. The germ ring is visible along the outside edge of the grain as seen in the picture below:

It is important to wash the quinoa thoroughly with water before cooking otherwise you will get a slightly bitter after-taste. In its natural form quinoa has a coating of saponin, a bitter tasting chemical, which is usually washed off during processing. Still, it may contain a small amount when you buy it in stores. You can easily wash it off, or soak it in water for an hour or so before cooking. Sometimes, we use chicken broth to cook with instead of water. Or make a recipe with vegetables or chicken after cooking separately. Here are links to two of our recent simple recipes you can try -

Chicken with quinoa

Grilled chicken with quinoa and salad

Here are some more quinoa recipes from the Quinoa Corporation. We bought their Ancient Harvest brand of organic quinoa from Wholefoods.

It has excellent nutritional value

According to the Quinoa Corporation, here are a few nutritional facts about quinoa:

• It is 35 on glycemic index, which is quite low. Low glycemic index foods are good for you because they do not cause the blood glucose levels to rise rapidly after they are eaten. That means your body is not working overtime to produce insulin after you eat.
• It is alkaline (meaning not acidic but basic), which is good for maintaining the acid balance in your digestive system.
• It is an excellent source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It is also a good source of protein.
• It has a lot of vitamins and minerals like iron and zinc.
• It is gluten-free.

Here is a nutritional facts label from Wikipedia:

You can find it in Whole Foods or other specialty health stores

We usually buy quinoa from our local Whole Foods market. Check out your local area or look for a specialty store selling natural or organic health foods. You can also buy in bulk from the Quinoa Corporation.

Go ahead, give quinoa a try! And feel free to share a recipe if you like it.

©2009 Littlestomaks.com

The word “fat” has become such an awful thing that everybody wants to get rid of it! Believe it or not, we can’t live without it even though so many of us are walking around with so much of around our waistlines. That is why, when one of my readers asked me to consider writing a post on healthy fats for children, I was immediately hooked on the idea. Here is a summary of what I found in my research from various sources. Leave a comment if you would like to know more about anything specific or if you want to suggest a topic for me to research and write about.

Why fats?

Fats are a very important part of diet, especially for growing children, because they serve many functions -

• supply energy (2 times as many calories as carbohydrates and proteins for the same weight)
• build tissues, especially brain tissue which is 60% fat
• dissolve vitamins A, D, E and K for absorption in the body
• protect the body from shock, maintain temperature
• maintain healthy skin and hair
• all cells have a fatty outer layer which controls what goes in and what goes out

What are fats?

Chemically, fats are long, chain-like molecules containing a “backbone” of glycerol and “side-links” of fatty acids. They are also called triglycerides.

A triglyceride molecule (wikipedia)

Glycerol, commonly known as glycerin, is a small molecule containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It has three hydroxyl functional groups, which make it soluble in water. The fatty acids, on the other hand, are longer chains containing carbon and hydrogen with an acid functional group at the end. They are not soluble in water. When glycerol and fatty acids combine, the acid group from the long chain fatty acids attaches with the hydroxyl groups on the glycerol to make a strong chemical bond. Because glycerol has three hydroxyl functional groups, three chains of fatty acids can combine to form a triglyceride. You can imagine a triglyceride molecule in the shape of a capital letter E as shown in this molecular model. You may have heard your doctor talk about the amount of your triglycerides after doing a blood test.

The exact chemical nature of the long-chain fatty acids linked to the glycerol backbone determines the overall nature of the fat molecule. Fats can be solids or liquids, saturated or unsaturated, trans or cis depending on the size and structure of these chains. You may have heard these different types of fats:

• Unsaturated fat – the chemical bonds between the carbon atoms of the fatty acid chains in unsaturated fats are double bonds. Double bonds are less stable, which means that unsaturated fats can be “broken” more easily by oxygen. Since the fatty acid chains can have a lot of carbon atoms, there can be one or more double bonds in these chains. Generally, unsaturated fats are in a liquid form at room temperature, that is why they are also known as oils. Oils from plants and nuts contain mostly unsaturated fats.
• Monounsaturated fat – these fats have only one double bond.
• Polyunsaturated fat – these fats have more than one double bond.
• trans fat - when double bonds are present in a fat molecule, the structure of the fatty acid chains can be either straight or kinked because of the arrangement of carbon and hydrogen atoms around the double bonds. In trans-fat, the chain is more straight compared to the other type called the cis-fat. As a result, the trans fats have a higher melting point and are usually solids at room temperature or even body temperatures. Cathy from A Life Less Sweet has written an excellent post on trans fats if you would like to learn more.
• Saturated fat – when there are no double bonds in the fat molecule, it is called a saturated fat. Dairy and meat products contain some of the natural fats. Most of the saturated fat in food products comes from hydrogenation of unsaturated fats.
• Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids – these are called essential fatty acids because the human body cannot make them, therefore they need to come from the diet. Example of omega-3 fatty acids are: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Linoleic acid is an example of omega-6 fatty acids.

How much fat?

Here are some guidelines from the American Heart Association and the USDA -

• Children under the age of 3 should get about 30 – 35% of daily calories from fats
• Children between 4 – 18 years old should get about 25 – 30% of daily calories from fats
• Adults should get about 20 – 35% (preferably closer to 20%) of daily calories from fats

Each gram of fat contains about 9 calories, so a 2000 calorie diet should not have more than 67 g of fat for the 30% requirement. Active kids between 2 – 5 years old, who need about 1600 daily calories, should get about 55 g of fat.

Even though both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential, too much of omega-6 and too little of omega-3 is also not good. In the modern meat-rich diet, the ratio of the two is about 20 to 1, which is much higher than the 2:1 recommended ratio.

What types of fats are good?

Simply put, select foods with unsaturated fats and essential fatty acids and stay away from saturated fats and trans fats.

Here are a few sources of “good” fats -

Monounsaturated fats – nuts, olive oil, canola oil, avocado

Polyunsaturated fats and fatty acids – plant oils (watch out for partially hydrogenated oils, see below), nuts, fish, flax seeds or powder, sunflower seeds, grass-fed beef

What types of fats should I avoid?

Some saturated fat is ok (about 10% of daily calories), but trans fat is a big no-no. The best way to check if trans fat is present in the food is to look for “partially hydrogenated” oils in the list of ingredients. Don’t fall for the zero trans fat on the nutrition facts panel because FDA allows it if the level of trans fat is less than 0.5 g per serving.

Here are a few sources of saturated and trans-fats- Cheese, beef, whole milk, baked foods, margarine, chips, fried foods, eggs, poultry.

Here are a few good resoures for further reading if you are interested:

Fear not the healthy fats – Seattle’s Child Magazine

2005 dietary guidelines for Americans – USDA, Dept of Health & Human Services

fat, trans fat, omega-3 fatty acid, essential fatty acid – Wikipedia

Worried about too much sodium in your favorite restaurant dish or ready-to-eat supermarket meal? The food industry is hard at work trying to figure out a way to reduce salt in these foods without giving up on taste. In this post, I will highlight a few salt reduction technologies under development, although it will be quite a while before they hit the market.

Salt in the form of sodium chloride is important for maintaining the electrolyte balance in the body. Too little salt in diet, and you risk getting muscle cramps, dizziness and in the worst case, even brain damage. Runners who drink too much water instead of an electrolyte balanced drink like Gatorade risk life threatening injuries during a grueling long distance race because of low sodium levels. Excessive loss of liquids due to vomiting or diarrhea can also result in dangerously low sodium levels. Sodium is critical for life, and that is why our taste for saltiness in food is so highly evolved that without salt the food is completely unpalatable. No wonder the salt shaker has a prominent place on every dinner table.

Too much salt, on the other hand, is also not good. It is known to cause heart disease in the long run. Other reports have linked excessive salt to asthma, osteoporosis, heartburn, left ventricular hypertrophy (cardiac enlargement) and even death. In fact, ingesting very large amounts of salt was often used to commit suicide in ancient China (via Wikipedia)!

Look at the nutrition facts label of any packaged food and you will find high amounts of salt per serving (typically 20 -30% of the USDA recommended 2300 mg per day). Same goes for restaurant food as I recently wrote in a Five for Fridays article regarding reports of “dangerously high levels” of salt in chain restaurant meals. The food industry is under a lot of pressure from consumers and regulators to find ways to lower sodium levels in processed foods. It is not easy since scientists still do not fully understand the biological mechanism of how we perceive saltiness. Still, driven by market demand, there are a few novel approaches being pursued. Here is a short summary -

Chemical Methods

The easiest replacement for sodium chloride is potassium chloride, however it also has a bitter taste. As a result, some sodium chloride still needs to be added to block bitterness.

New bitterness blockers that reduce the activation of taste cells by bitter ingredients are under development. One example is Betrasalt^TM from a biotechnology company Redpoint Bio which is claimed to contain GRAS (FDA’s term for Generally Recognized as Safe) ingredients. They are positioning this proprietary additive for chicken soup, beef gravy, nacho flavor, vegetable juice and table salt.

Some chemicals such as menthyl lactate from Givaudan, which produce a “cooling effect” can also amplify the taste of saltiness at low amount of sodium. They have a few other cooling compounds which they are optimizing for salt enhancement.

Physical Methods

By reducing the size of salt crystals using a freeze drying method, Leatherhead Food International (LFI) has shown that these crystals dissolve faster on the tongue which produces a stronger salty sensation at lower concentration. Eminate Ltd., a partner of the Nottingham University of UK has developed a proprietary spray-drying technology to make nano-sized salt crystals. These salt crystals could work well when sprinkled on chips and fries.

LFI is also developing double emulsions in which a water droplet  is enclosed inside an oil droplet which itself enclosed inside another water droplet. When salt is added to the outside water layer in small amounts, taste testers reported a stronger salt sensation. These double emulsions could be used in salad dressings.

Biochemical Methods

Senomyx, a San Diego based flavor research company, has identified proteins responsible for salt perception in the taste buds. They are now using this protein to develop testing methods which help in developing new salt enhancing flavor molecules.

A milk-based mineral blend produced by “milk cracking” has been developed by Armor Proteines who is marketing the additive as Lactosalt Optitaste for use in bread, cheese and processed meats. They claim that it can result in 25% lower sodium levels.

Salty and Umami (savory) tastes work together on the tongue to produce similar sensations. One approach to reducing salt is to enhance the umami taste. By studying broths made from fermented Bonito, a fish from the mackerel family popular in Japan, Givaudan has developed new enhancers for umami sensation which can be used in reduced salt formulations.

DSM has developed yeast extracts that also provide the umami sensation in low sodium formulations suited for breads, cheese and cereals. They claim that their Maxarom® and Maxarite^TM products can lower salt by 25 – 50%.

No doubt, we are likely to see intense research and competition in salt reduction technology in the future. Your best bet of course is to reduce consumption of processed foods and instead rely more on fresh, home made meals where you can control the amount of salt. But it may not be practical all the time as you try to manage the nutritional needs of your family while running a buys life. In this regard, this trend is very encouraging.

What do you think?

Photo source – Luca Galuzzi, Wikipedia
©2009 Littlestomaks.com