Friday, June 03, 2005

Big Medicine finally "Gets It!" - sort of... Doctors Say Kids Should Skip Juices It looks like Big Medicine has recognized that most fruit juices are little better for us than soda drinks and these researchers appear willing to ruffle the feathers of the industry group The Juice Products Association (who presumably wield some very significant financial / political clout) in order to warn parents about the risks of feeding unlimited fruit juices to their children. These researchers are not telling the whole story, however. They are focusing on the effects of these highly concentrated sources of fruit sugars as they apply to the growing problem of obesity in our nation's children. They are not mentioning anything about the other effects of these concentrated sugar sources - the effects on immunity and behavior for example. Also not mentioned is the fact that many of these juices blur the line between natural fruit juice and chemical-laden soft drink, full of artificial colors, preservatives, and "enhancements." How many teachers struggle with a classroom full of hyperactive (AKA "attention deficit") kids, many of whom refuse to drink water - preferring juice instead for it's instant "sugar high?" How many frustrated and frazzled parents are coping with frequent colds, flu, ear infections, asthma attacks, and so many other bugs that their high fructose kids are "picking up" at school and bringing home for the family to share? There is plenty of research out there to show the correlation between excessive sugar intake and behavioral difficulty - even autism - in kids. There is also solid research showing that the intake of sugars, fructose included (though it was once promoted to us as being a "better, healthier" sugar than sucrose) have an immediate, serious, and sustained effect on our immune systems - causing a big suppression in immunity and reduction of the body's ability to resist infection for several hours following the ingestion of even one sweet drink. So, if you want to give something healthy to your kids, give 'em water - "Adam's Ale." Bottled water can be popular with kids, but beware the "sports" and "fitness" waters - check the label and make sure that your water contains good ol' H2O and nothing more! If you want them to have the "goodness" of fruit, give 'em a fruit - an apple, an orange, or a banana a day will provide all the "goodness" they can handle. If you want to ensure that your kids are receiving a full compliment of vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals, consider giving them an optimal dose Children's Vitamin. (No, the sugar-filled "chewable" children's vitamins don't count - they contain only minimal amounts of vitamins and are more like candy than anything else!) Please also remember that milk, yoghurt, and other dairy products are generally quite high in lactose - milk sugar - and can cause the same sugar-related problems. Parents who limit their children's sugar intakes almost always notice prompt and positive changes - less sickness, better behavior (once the wheedling and whining and tantrums to demand a resumption of the addictive sugars runs it's course - be firm until then!) and of course reduced sugar intake means reduced weight. Finally, don't forget that sugars have the same effects on adults as they do on kids - immune suppression, behavioral changes (can you say "sugar high?"), and obesity. Many of the illnesses that plague our modern "civilized" world can be tied directly to our ability to consume refined grains (white flour) and refined sugars. It looks like Big Medicine is finally coming to acknowledge what we have been saying all along - it's time to cut out the refined stuff and eat and drink healthy again! Cheers, Nurse Mark Wellness Club website: www.DrMyattsWellnessClub.com 12:52:23 PM

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