Breastfeeding Protects Against Food Allergies: An Important Question in Simple Words

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Description: Does your baby have symptoms that look like baby food allergy hives? Are you interested in finding out if, in fact, breastfeeding protects your baby against food allergies, both in the long- and short-terms after all? 

In such cases, the best you can do is stay informed, read about cool baby stuff, and, should you need to, treat your baby’s allergies with the appropriate products. This way, you’ll be sure that your baby will be happy and thriving, no matter what.

Read this article to find out!

Introduction

An article by the British newspaper Daily Mail has recently brought to attention the correlation between breastfeeding and the incidence of food allergies in children up to the age of five.

Now, although the article was exemplary, the research itself was not as clear cut, and as such leaves a lot of room for discussion.

In fact, there is evidence that suggests quite the opposite, meaning that breast milk can, indeed, help prevent the incidence of food allergy in breastfed babies.

So, for the sake of a healthy argument, and to further your education on the subject by proposing an alternative point of view, we have compiled evidence on the benefits of breastfeeding.

 

What the Research Got Wrong

The study covered by the Daily Mail was conducted in Okayama University, Japan, and interviewed several mothers, asking whether they fed their babies by:

  • Exclusively Breastfeeding;
  • Breastfeeding while supplementing their babies’ diets with other foods or
  •  Never breastfeeding.

Armed with this data, the researchers then inquired on the frequency with which the babies needed to go to the hospital, up to the age of 5.5 years old, when presenting signs of food allergies. The aforementioned signs generally include, but are not limited to, baby food allergy hives; baby food allergy rash face; baby food allergy rash on belly; baby red cheeks food allergy, and more.

Using this information, the researchers arrived to the conclusion that breastfed babies had a 50% higher chance of developing food allergies than babies that never breastfed.

Researchers then looked into whether an “eczema food allergy baby” could potentially be more prone to food allergies in the future.

What they found was that there was a higher risk in breastfeeding babies for developing a food allergy (without presenting eczema), and a decreased risk (that is a factor of protection) for developing allergy with the particular food substance examined in each case.

By taking a full look at the results, and combining it with the fact that a mother’s diet has a great influence on the research’s outcome, it soon becomes clear that the study’s results are not entirely reliable.

The Case for Breast Milk

According to Dr Michiko Oyoshi, PhD, of Boston Children’s Division of Allergy and Immunology, there is a series of benefits associated with breastfeeding:

  • Pregnant mice mothers that have consumed allergenic foods like peanuts were able to transfer antibodies to their offspring, increasing their tolerance.
  • This transfer appears to happen even when the rats are not of the same lineage, and baby rats can receive this tolerance from milk that is not their mother’s.
  • Even when the rat mothers had not consumed any allergenic food, they were still able to protect their offspring by receiving food-specific antibodies from each other.
  • There also seems to be long-lasting effects from breastfeeding, as the rats remained food allergy-free even after the milk had long been excreted from their bodies.

Human Testing & Baby Food Allergy Hives Consideration

Despite the apologetic tone of this article, you should keep in mind that the science on this subject is not set.

There is evidence that supports the benefits listed above, and the consensus is that breastfeeding your baby is a good idea.

This is why Dr Oyoshi’s team has already begun to conduct human trials by collecting milk from mothers who are actively breastfeeding, and taking various measurements of factors associated with immunity. They will also likely note the presence of any allergy symptoms, including baby food allergy hives.

The scientists will then compare the milk from mothers of children with a high risk of food allergy to the milk of those whose children have lower risk of food allergies.

The level of risk will be determined by whether the child has allergic siblings, or present eczema – much like in the study conducted by the researchers of Okayama University.

Until the results of this newest study are out, we cannot say for sure what the scientific consensus is. However, I can only point out the evidence at hand that supports the theory that breastfeeding can, indeed, protect against food allergies.

Conclusion

Keeping your child free of allergies and able to enjoy the many culinary pleasures of life without having to fear for their health is serious business.

Scientific experts all agree that breastfeeding plays a central role in this objective; they only disagree when it comes to whether its influence is positive or negative.

As parents and caretakers, what we can do is keep ourselves informed on the different points of view and do our best to discern those that appear to be the most accurate.

It is also very important to keep in mind that if your baby is already experiencing baby food allergy symptoms, it’s not your fault either way.

Sound off in the comments: do you know the signs of food allergy in breastfed babies, or how to tell what baby food allergy hives look like? Have you done a baby food allergy test? If so, what did the test results show?

About the author

Rachel Burns is an experienced copywriter and photographer with a design diploma. She works with startups, entrepreneurs, bloggers and companies from around the world. In addition to writing articles and promotional materials, she enjoys hiking, reading, cooking and spending time with her family.

NutriFusion

Children who eat poorly and have a deficit in plant based nutrition are more likely to develop certain long-term health problems and complications, including: diabetes, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, eating foods high in fat, sugar, and salt can increase the risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis as an adult. More immediate childhood issues include low energy and a reduced interest in learning, cognitive development, and academic performance.

 Studies have shown that supplementation with extracts from fruits and vegetables may improve age-related changes.

NutriFusion develops all‐natural fruit and/or vegetable powders that are nutrient dense for use in foods, beverages, supplements and pet foods.

NutriFusion can help! Visit us at www.nutrifusion.com.

How to Live Longer? Amazing Ways to Live a Long Life

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Most people spend their entire adult lives preparing for their retirement years. While preparing financially for this part of your life is important, you also need to focus on staying healthy. Staying healthy as you get older is hard but definitely achievable. Not only will you need a great doctor to help you on your journey, but you also need to invest in a comprehensive health insurance policy.

With great health insurance, you can get the preventative care you need to keep your body in pristine shape. Are you looking for ways to live longer? If so, check out the helpful advice below.

 

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Focus on Getting Enough Sleep

The average life expectancy in the United States is around 78 years. Reaching this milestone and beyond will not be easy. One of the first things you need to get a handle on when trying to stay healthy is getting enough sleep. Millions of people in the United States have sleep problems. Ignoring these problems will put your mind and body in jeopardy.

Experts maintain that the average person needs around seven to eight hours of sleep a night. If you are unable to get to sleep, then figuring out what is causing this problem is crucial. Making mistakes like consuming caffeine right before bed or sleeping with the television on can wreak havoc on your sleep cycle. Consulting with a medical professional is vital when trying to nail down the cause of our sleep problems and what methods can be used to fix them.

 

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Maintain a Healthy Diet

Once you get your sleep problems resolved, you need to move onto the next step in this journey. The average American eats a very unhealthy diet. Consuming a steady diet of fast food and sugar-filled drinks can lead to serious health problems like heart disease or high blood pressure. The older you get, the harder it will be to avoid these health problems. This is why now is the time to start eating healthy foods.

Eating a varied diet that includes things like lean meats, fruits and vegetables is crucial when trying to give your body the nutrients it needs to thrive. You also need to develop a daily workout routine. Working out and eating healthy can definitely help you add years to your life. If you are unsure about how to develop a great diet and exercise plan, then seeking out advice from a medical professional is a wise move.

 

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Give Your Brain a Daily Workout

Another important thing you need to focus on as you age is keeping your mind sharp. Doing things like socializing with friends and family daily is vital for the health of your brain. Giving your brain a daily workout is also important. You can accomplish by doing a crossword puzzle each day or reading the newspaper.

Failing to give your brain a daily workout can put you at risk for serious memory diseases like dementia. Learning new skills is also a great way to keep your brain sharp and functional. Most areas have senior citizen centers designed to keep elderly individuals active. Visiting one of these centers allows you to mingle and socialize with people in your age group. Spending too much time alone can be bad for your mental health, which is why this socialization is so essential.

Your Hard Work Will Pay Off

Living longer will require lots of hard work. The time and effort invested in the activities mentioned in this article will definitely pay off. Visiting your doctor frequently is also important when trying to discover and treat health issues early on. 

 

BIO

Wendy Dessler is a super-connector who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.

 

1 in 10 Adults Meet The Federal Fruit or Vegetable Recommendations

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Just 1 in 10 adults meet the federal fruit or vegetable recommendations, according to a study published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). This report highlights that very few Americans eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables every day, putting them at risk for chronic diseases.

Studies have shown that supplementation with extracts from fruits and vegetables may improve age-related changes.

NutriFusion develops all‐natural fruit and/or vegetable powders that are nutrient dense for use in foods, beverages, supplements and pet foods.

NutriFusion can help! Visit us at www.nutrifusion.com.

How to Snack and Prevent Diabetes

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Diabetes prevention is something we all should be working for, and your diet plays a huge factor in this. One often overlooked part of the conversation surrounding a healthy diet is snacking. While the obvious answer may seem to be to give up snacks altogether, depriving yourself of your favorite treats may not be the best protection from diabetes either. Below are a few ways to develop snacking habits that can reduce your chances of developing diabetes, as well as a few different foods to implement into your diet.

Avoid Glucose Spikes

Diabetes is characterized by having blood sugar levels that are unnaturally high due to insulin resistance. One of the ways that this insulin resistance can develop is by having spikes in your blood sugar that make it difficult for your body’s insulin to break down all of the glucose in the body. You can avoid these spikes by limiting consuming foods that quickly raise your blood sugar, such as sweets, starches, and processed foods.

Choose Your Snacks Wisely

Instead of choosing foods that are unhealthy in nature, try to focus on curbing your hunger with healthier options. Skip the donuts, cookies, and cakes and reach for fruits, vegetables, and nuts instead. Many adults struggle to meet their daily value of fruits and vegetables, so incorporating these foods into snack time can help you reach your nutritional needs.

There are certain foods that can help prevent diabetes more than others. Foods like apples and berries can satisfy your sweet tooth while carrots and pumpkin seeds can give you that crunch that you crave from chips and other salty snacks. Incorporating these foods into your snacking routine can help cut your risk of developing diabetes by minimizing spikes in blood sugar and preventing insulin resistance.

Space Out Your Snacks

While it might seem counterintuitive, snacking does have the potential to prevent blood sugar spikes from happening if eaten at the right times. When there is a large gap of time between meals, your blood sugar can dip, sometimes to dangerously low levels. This can result in extreme highs and lows that can make your body become less sensitive to its own insulin, ultimately leading to diabetes. Snacking can help prevent these highs and lows by keeping your blood sugar levels steady throughout the day because of the more consistent intake of nutrients. If you find yourself getting hungry throughout the day or if you know there is going to be a large gap between your meals, try keeping a snack nearby to help hold you over and stabilize your blood sugar.

Be mindful of your snacking

Raspberries and BlackberriesWhile it may appear that snacking is purely a physical activity, the way that you snack is heavily tied to your emotional being as well. Unpleasant emotions like stress, anxiety, and depression can lead to overeating and cravings for those “comfort foods” that tend to be unhealthy in nature. And when it comes to emotional eating, you often won’t stop munching until you feel better, or until your body can’t physically take another bite. These snacking sessions can contribute to blood sugar spikes and insulin resistance because of the sheer volume and contents of the foods involved.

A change in mindset can help prevent you from snacking mindlessly, as well as keep you from eating foods that are less healthy in nature. A great way to get a handle on your emotional eating is to first assess why it is that you’re tempted to start eating. Ask yourself— Are you really hungry? Are you upset? Are you avoiding something? If you realize that your cravings are originating from something other than hunger, try resisting the urge to snack for about 15 minutes to see if the feeling subsides. The more self-aware you become of your snacking habits, the better you’ll be able to fend off the development of diabetes.

 

Just 1 in 10 adults meet the federal fruit or vegetable recommendations, according to a study published today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). This report highlights that very few Americans eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables every day, putting them at risk for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

NutriFusion develops all‐natural fruit and/or vegetable powders that are nutrient dense for use in foods, beverages, supplements and pet foods.

NutriFusion can help! Visit us at www.nutrifusion.com.

 

Mitigating Stress: How Food Can Reduce Your Stress

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Everyday stress can easily pile up, but today’s circumstances have made it much easier to feel more overwhelmed than ever. In fact, studies reveal that 88% of Americans are stressed out due to the uncertainty clouding over us.

Even though stress is a normal part of life, we owe it to ourselves to learn how to combat it — and one of the best ways to do this is to eat right. Though many people know that stress causes you to eat more and in unhealthy ways, it’s possible to reverse this and use healthy food to reduce stress. To help you eat right amidst these stressful times, here’s what you need to know:

The Best Nutrients to Beat Stress

Food serves as a source of nourishment. And leaning on this fact will help you identify which ones can help increase and decrease your stress levels. Case in point: Our post on how to ‘Boost Your Mental Health With Fruits And Vegetables’ notes that probiotics (otherwise known as ‘good bacteria’) positively influences your mental outlook, while soothing your anxiety.

Vitamin C is also a great stress-reliever, as it helps reduce levels of cortisol (a major stress hormone) and lower your blood pressure. Another helpful nutrient is omega-3 fatty acids because they can help relieve stress symptoms. Plus, Dr. David Mischoulon writes on Harvard Health that its anti-inflammatory properties can even help alleviate depression. Overall, knowing the right nutrients will help you build a strong foundation for healthy eating against stress.

That said, here are some food sources that you should consider incorporating into your diet to help fight stress:

Probiotics
• Lentils
• Banana
• Oats
• Asparagus

Vitamin C
• Sweet potatoes
• Broccoli
• Guava
• Citrus fruits

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• Salmon
• Walnuts
• Flax-seed
• Soybeans

Essential Eating Habits to Beat Stress

A successful diet to combat stress isn’t complete without proper eating habits. Practicing these everyday will help you stay on the right track with your diet and stress.

Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful eating calls you to be in the moment when you eat — from paying attention to your food, to acknowledging your physical and emotional sensations. It’s all the more important to practice mindful eating today, when most people are working from home and the lines between work and your personal life can be easily blurred. Resilience coach L. Barbour told Marcus that it’s important to focus exclusively on eating during lunchtime, instead of looking at your phone or trying to multitask. This way, you can truly enjoy your food and be more careful about the dietary choices you make. After all, it’s very easy to subsist on coffee and beef jerky if you’re stuck to a screen all the time! Remember that what and how you eat can affect your mood and cognitive performance, so be sure to give yourself time to thoroughly enjoy your meals.

Don’t Skip Meals

As we’ve mentioned, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life — especially during this point in time. And trying to keep up with everything makes it much easier for you to skip meals. Unfortunately, ignoring your meals can result in even higher levels of stress. Psychiatrist Steven Gans explains on Very Well Mind that your blood sugar levels start to drop when you miss out on a meal. This, in turn, causes you to become irritable and tense, while also heightening your anxiety. To this end, it’s essential to follow a healthy eating schedule. If you’re not feeling too hungry during a certain mealtime, you can opt for a filling snack like a protein bar or a green smoothie.

Cook for Yourself

While ordering in from food delivery services may seem like a convenient option, it’s better to use the time you have on your hands by cooking your own meals. Cooking can do wonders for your stress levels as it helps you get in tune with your senses — from therapeutic techniques like stirring and rhythmic chopping, to smelling the aroma of your ingredients. Not to mention, there’s a special sense of accomplishment after preparing your own meals. If you’re pressed for time on weekdays, a good practice is to meal prep during the weekends.

 

Words by Mona Presson
Written exclusively for nutrifusion.com

Sugar – It’s a Sticky Situation

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Sugar.

Parents don’t want to give it to their kids. Adults don’t’ like it because it turns, quite quickly, to fat. But clever packaging and the misconceptions natural sugar and no added sugar tend to only raise more questions. Is all sugar created the same? Can you learn to navigate the sticky sweet sugar labels? What’s the difference in added, natural, modified, and fake?

According to a recently published article on cnet.com, “The US Office of Disease Prevention and the World Health Organization say you should get no more than 10% of your daily calories from added sugar each day — and even better is limiting added sugar to 25 grams (or six teaspoons) in total.” So if the first step includes knowing we should limit our sugar intake, the next step moves us into the tricky task of decoding, you guessed it, sugar itself.

Added sugar.

Just like it sounds, added sugar is, as you’d assume, added…by either you or a manufacturer. The various added sugars can be derived from several sources including coconut sugar, can sugar, maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar.

Natural sugar.

Certain foods like, for example, fruit, is a whole food and the sugar included is in its natural form. An apple doesn’t have added sugar and, again, as you’d assume, offers the added benefits of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. While a fruit’s natural sugar, fructose, does affect your body and can raise both blood sugar and insulin hormones, it’s bound to fiber…something that aids your body in slowing down how fast you’re absorbing the naturally occurring sugar.

“Natural sugar, like the sugar found in whole food like fruits, is definitely part of a healthy diet for most people,” explains Jayne Williams, a certified nutritional consultant and clinical nutrition graduate student. “While fruits do contain low levels of fructose, which is a sugar, the overall nutritional value of a piece of whole fruit with all the vitamins, fiber and nutrients is well worth including in a healthy diet.”

Fructose should not, however, be confused with the often-added ingredient high fructose corn syrup. This chemical-made sugar is often a used as a sweetener in many processed foods.

Modified natural sugar.

The honey you add to your oatmeal and the agave you put in your smoothies are natural, but they’re sugar all the same. “Modified natural sugars are those that start from a natural source but need slight ‘modern intervention’ to make it to your table. Coconut sugar, raw honey and organic pure maple syrup all have some additional minerals and vitamins,” says Williams, “but are still sugar and can affect your blood sugar levels more than natural-occurring sugars in whole foods.”

Processed sugar.

Often called fake sugar, processed sugar has been stripped of any nutrition or health benefits. The modification process renders fake sugar difficult for your liver to process as it contains high levels of fructose. White sugar, cane sugar, and agave nectar, even if it’s labeled as low-glycemic, fall into the processed sugar category.

The take-away.

Stick to whole, unprocessed foods and stay away from processed foods and high fructose corn syrup. Watch for tricky food labels and packaging…just because you’re indulging in a smoothie or seemingly healthy prepared food doesn’t mean added sugar isn’t hiding inside. If you do add sugar, like honey, try to keep it at 6 teaspoons (or under) a day.

When you may not have access to quality whole foods, you can still achieve the necessary nutrition via NutriFusion’s quality supplements. Our ingredients are plant based and never include added sugar, just real food from nature to you. We use first-grade, fresh and high-quality fruits and vegetables to create nutrient dense powder full of natural vitamins and minerals.

Inspired by Good sugar vs. bad sugar, what’s the difference? by Mercey Livingston

Meat Consumption and the Link to Type 2 Diabetes

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Meat.

It’s an industry that’s worked overtime to convince you to consume what they’re selling. Think “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” and “Pork. The Other White Meat.” But study after study slams the salaciousness they’re selling.

Meat’s link to disease.

A recent Diabetes and Metabolism meta-analysis reported on the findings of almost 30 articles focused on the link between meat consumption and the risk for type 2 diabetes. The results were frightening: consuming red meat, processed meat, fish, and poultry can increase the risk for type 2 diabetes.

 

 

People who consumed the:

  • most total meat saw a 33% increased risk of type 2 diabetes
  • most processed meat saw a 25% increased risk for type 2 diabetes
  • most red meat 22% increased risk for type 2 diabetes

 

 

The deck is stacked against you.

Further analyses explored how adding meat to your diet increases risk. For example, adding 100 grams (a piece of meat approximately the size of a deck of cards) per day of total meat increases risk by 36%. Adding 100 grams of red meat increases risk by 31%. If you go one step further and add an additional 50 grams per day of processed meat, you increase your risk for diabetes by a generous 46%.

Why so high?

The authors attribute the associated risk to a list of diet “no-nos’”: saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, heme iron, and animal protein from meat. Serum levels of proteins and iron, plus increased weight associated with meat consumption, may also contribute to the risk.

Keep risk low.

A diet rich in fresh, high-quality fruits and vegetables both lowers the risk for type 2 diabetes and gives your body a necessary boost. Consuming natural, nitrate-rich foods can reduce blood pressure and improve overall circulatory health. Choose vegetables with naturally high nitrate content, rather than those with nitrate manufacturers have added during processing.

We can help.

At NutriFusion, we use first-grade, fresh and high-quality fruits and vegetables to create a nutrient dense powder full of natural vitamins and minerals. High quality food and beverage processors are adding the nutrient dense powder to their products to provide the nutrition bodies need.

We believe in a farm-to-table approach. But, even when you don’t have access to quality fruits and vegetables, you can achieve the necessary nutrition via our quality supplements. Our ingredients are plant based and never include synthetics, just real food from nature to you.

Inspired by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine www.pcrm.org

The Right Diet Can Promote Better Health and Reduces Costs

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Consumers of All Generations Are Loving Plant-Based Foods

These days, there are so many kinds of diseases that wreak havoc on the health of many individuals. Diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and kidney diseases are affecting a lot of people. Eating the wrong kinds of foods is the biggest driver of illness in the United States. In fact, two-thirds of Americans are considered obese. Unfortunately, the traditional health-care system has never done enough to solve the ballooning problem. Conventional treatments of these diseases usually include taking in medicine. But while conventional medicine may help, many healthcare professionals are now trying other cost-effective approaches: food & lifestyle.

The Right Diet Can Create Better Health

Creating the right diet for patients has been shown to improve health outcomes. A program in Massachusetts designed a way to support the nutritional needs of low-income patients suffering from heart failure by providing healthy foods to reduce the risk of kidney diseases or diabetes. The organization called Community Servings provides 10 ready-to-eat meals to the homes of patients. All meals are tailored to fit the medical needs of the patients. All meals are created by registered dietitians.

This particular program was studied, and results showed that those who received medically tailored meals have 50% fewer hospitalizations as well as 72% fewer admissions in nursing facilities. The program resulted in a 16% reduction in terms of health-care costs. With the success of the program, Community Servings was able to cater to 2,300 patients. 

More People and Organizations Embracing the Movement

Putting together the right tailored meals can be a complex thing to arrange according to Seth A. Berkowitz, lead author of the study. The meals cooked by Community Servings can greatly help patients to get the right nutrition that they need. Another program similar to Community Servings was established in Pennsylvania that caters to diabetic patients. The patients receive nutritious foods weekly with the goal to reduce their HbA1c levels – a diabetes marker.

While the two initiatives were successful among the low-income earners, the effects are not clear for the more affluent patients. Nevertheless, the results of the study are eye-catching for everyone. Many lawmakers are now adapting the program. Recently, California launched a 3-year project worth $6 million to improve the nutrition of the Medicaid recipients of the state particularly among patients who suffered from heart failure.

In New York, low-income patients suffering from high blood pressure can join the program called Pharmacy to Farm wherein they can get their medicines at select pharmacies as well as buy produce from accredited farmers all over the city with promised rebates.

The thing is that local efforts to bring healthier foods to the people can help improve health not only for sick people but for everyone. Hippocrates once mentioned to his patients to “let food be thy medicine” and we are recently embracing this movement to help curb the health crises in the country. Letting food be their medicine is a more sustainable means of battling diseases.

Inspired by www.washingtonpost.com/health