The Nutrition Solution

Artificial Food Additives May Increase Hyperactivity in Children.

Artificial food color and additives commonly found in children's food increase the mean level of hyperactivity in children aged 3 years and 8 to 9 years. This has long been suggested but not generally accepted in the scientific community because of what were considered flaws in the testing procedures. This study may put all those doubts to rest. This was a community-based, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge study. It could not, however, determine specific compounds that are harmful.

Reference: Dr. James Stevenson of The University of Southampton in Britain as reported in Lancet (Sep 6) and The Economist (Sep 15), 2007

(Personal Note from Marcia Zimmerman: In my book, THE ADD NUTRITION SOLUTION, published in 1999, I recommended that food colors and additives be avoided. I also have many other suggestions in my book. If you don't have my book and you have young children, check with your local bookstores to get a copy.)

Eat All the Junk Food You Want and Get a Shot to Make the Fat Go Away? Possible, But Not Anytime Soon.

Researchers at Georgetown University have announced they have found a link between chronic stress and weight gain. They discovered a biological switch that signals the body to promote fat growth in chronically stressed individuals. When this switch is turned off, weight loss of 40% to 50% in two weeks is possible. Note that the only individuals this procedure has been tried on are mice. Studies in people could begin within two years. Other researchers caution that there is much more to learn about the safety and efficacy of the procedure in people. So don't plan on dismissing diet, exercise and stress reduction from your life. A simple shot to melt your fat away is quite a ways in the future.

Reference: Dr. Zofia Zukowska of Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington as reported in the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, July, 2, 2007

Gastrointestinal Problems and Autism?

A Harvard study has reported that biopsies revealed the presence of chronic inflammation in 15 of 89 children These findings surther support a link between autism and a novel form of gastrointestinal disease. They are consistent with clincal evidence that many autistic children improve physically and behaviorialy when they are placed on gluten- and casein-free diets and receive supplements of disaccharidase enzymes.

Reference: Rafail Kushak, Harland Winter, Nathan Farber, and Timothy Blue, "Autism Research Review International", Vol 20, No. 1, 2006

About 5.5 out of 1,000 children have been recognized with autism

A government run study finds about 300,000 school-age children suffer from autism. Past estimates have ranged from 1 to 9 out of 1,000. Autism is a complex disorder usually not recognized until after age 3. Difficulty in expressing needs, inability to socialize and insistence on sameness are characteristic behaviors. Boys are nearly four times more likely than girls to be identified with the condition. Future studies will look at recognition variations across different communities and how long it takes for a child to be identified after the onset of symptoms.

Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Enterprise Record/Mercury-Register, May, 5, 2006

Thimerosal linked to immune system ills

Scientists at UC Davis have found that a preservative used in some vaccines can disrupt the immune system, at least in mice.

Thimerosal is a preservative added to some vaccines and other products because it is effective in killing bacteria and preventing bacterial contamination. When degraded or metabolized, one of the products of thimerosal is ethyl mercury. Except for trace amounts used in vaccine production, thimerosal is no longer used in childhood vaccines. The exception is the flu vaccine. A thimerosal-free version of the flu shot is now available, but the lion's share of vaccine supplies still contain the preservative.

Many parents have raised questions about the role of thimerosal in autism. It has been noted that after years of surges in new autism cases, the numbers have dropped since 1999, when vaccine makers were asked to remove the chemical from their products. The authors of the study caution the findings do not specifically link use of thimerosal to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. More research is needed.

Reference: Dorsey Griffith, "Thimerosal linked to immune system ills", The Sacramento Bee, Mar 21, 2006

Sharp rise in number of adults on ADHD drugs

The number of adults ages 20-44 who are taking ADHD medication has doubled in the last four years. And the number of young children and teens has risen from 3% to 4.4% over the same period.

The gender gap - boys are more than twice as likely as girls to take ADHD medication - is closing among adults as more women 20 to 44 years old are diagnosed and treated. Children often outgrow the hyperactivity part of the disorder, which is more common among boys than girls, but difficulties with concentrating and staying organized, the symptoms more common among girls, tend to persist into adulthood.

Reference: Marilyn Elias, "Number of adults on ADHD drugs doubles", USA TODAY, Sep 15, 2005

Teens on ADHD drug may think of suicide, FDA warns

The FDA warned doctors Thursday about reports of sucidial thinking in some children and adolescents who are taking Strattera. The manufacturer, Eli Lilly & Co, will add a black-box warning to the drugs's label in the United States. Such a warning is the most serious that can be added to a medication's label, and similar warnings will be added to the drug's labels in other countries.

The risk is very low and Strattera is still viewed as an effective drug by the FDA, but those taking it should be observed closly for any unusual depression or expression of suicidal thoughts.

Reference: John J. Lumpkin, "Teens on ADHD drug may think of suicide, FDA warns", Sacramento Bee, Sep 30, 2005

Cognitive therapy as an alternative to ADHD drugs

To medicate or not? Studies increasingly show that while medication may calm a child's behavior, it does not improve grades, peer relationships or defiant behavior over the long term. Recent studies support the notion that many children with ADHD have cognitive deficits, specifically in working memory - the ability to hold in mind information that guides behavior.

Studies have shown that behavioral therapy can be an effective alternative to medication. The ability to tame symptoms via behavioral therapy and training suggests that many ADHD children may not need drugs. But both behavioral therapy and working memory training require diligence and patience from parents, teachers and therapists. That's not easy for a time-crunched society and far more laborious than poping a pill.

A side-bar to this article notes that research hints that stimulant medication may increase the risk of substance abuse later in life.

Reference: Gunjan Sinha, “Training the Brain,” Scientific American, pgs 22-23, Jul, 2005

Will this generation of kids live as long as their parents?

Two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese; one-third of adults qualify as obese.
Up to 30 percent of U.S. children are overweight, and childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 25 years.
Childhood diabetes has increased 10-fold in the past 20 years.

The sharp increase of obesity among people now in their 60s may be one explanation why the gains in U.S. life expectancy at older ages have been less than those of other developed countries in recent years where the problem of obesity is much less than in this country. Over the next few decades, life expectancy for the average American could decline by as much as 5 years unless aggressive efforts are made to slow rising rates of obesity, according to a team of scientists supported in part by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), According to the study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, two-thirds of American adults are overweight (having a body mass index(BMI) of 25 or more) or obese (having a BMI of 30 or more). One study cited by the authors indicates that the prevalence of obesity in U.S. adults has increased about 50 percent per decade since 1980. Additional research has shown that people who are severely obese — with a BMI greater than 45 — live up to 20 years less than people who are not overweight. Some researchers have estimated that obesity causes about 300,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. In addition, obesity is fueling an epidemic of type 2 diabetes, which also reduces lifespan. Check your BMI now by going to BMI/WEIGHT and get a quick answer to what your risk may be, or better, may not be.

Reference: Olshansky SJ, Passaro DJ, Hershow RC, Layden J, Carnes BA, Brody J, Hayflick L, Butler RN, Allison DB, and Ludwig DS, “A Potential Decline in Life Expectancy in the United States in the 21st Century,” New England Journal of Medicine, 352:11, pp. 1138-1145.

Cereal sugar reductions only marketing hype?

Cereal manufacturers have made much recently of reduced sugar content in cereals implying that these are a new, healthier choice. True? Well not exactly. Yes, sugar has been reduced but to maintain taste and texture, sugar has been replaced by other refined carbohydrates. Since the body treats all refined carbs the same, there is no real improvement in the healthiness of the product.

Reference: Associated Press "Review of kids' cereals questions sugar claims", The Sacramento Bee, Mar 21, 2005

Brain self-repair? It has long been thought this was impossible.

Many scientists believe Alzheimer's is caused when plaques composed of amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide damage brain cells. When Washington University researchers injected mice with an antibody, they found it not only cleared the plaque, but also reduced the swelling associated with it. This swelling has been shown to interfere with the ability of nerve cells to transmit messages. More research is needed to see whether similar effects will occur in humans, but Abeta antibodies are being considered for use in clinical trials on Alzheimer's patients.

Reference: Brendza, R., Washington University School of Medicine, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Feb 5 2005

Do we need another reason to lose weight?

Researchers have known for quite some time that obesity is connected to arthritis, cancer, hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. Now, from Göteborg University in Sweden and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, studies of older women have found that a one-point rise in BMI (a ratio of height to weight) increased the risk of temporal-lobe atrophy by 13% to 16%. The temporal lobes, often affected in Alzheimer's disease, are involved in memory, verbal expression and language comprehension. A possible explanation may be that hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol, all linked to obesity, may contribute to blocked arteries and a reduced supply of blood to the brain.

More than 66% of adults in the U.S. and 50% in Europe are considered obese or overweight. Getting your BMI down by losing a few pounds can help keep your body and mind healthier. Check your BMI now by going to BMI/WEIGHT and get a quick answer to what your risk may be, or better, may not be.

Reference: D. Gustafson, L. Lissner, C. Bengtsson, C. Björkelund, and I. Skoog: "A 24-year follow-up of body mass index and cerebral atrophy", Neurology, Nov 2004; 63: 1876 - 1881.

Spending on children's behavioral drugs soars - expensive supplements:

369%. That's how much spending on ADHD drugs for children under 5 has increased in the last three years. A 49% percent rise in the use of ADHD drugs by children under 5 contributed to a 23% increase in usage for all children. Overall, 5.3 perent of children took some type of behavioral medicine in 2003, including 3.4% who took ADHD medicines and 2.3% who took antidepressants. Some children are on both types of drugs.

Reference: Warner, Jennifer: "Behaviour Drugs Fuel Rise in Child Drug Costs", WebMd, May, 2004