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Todays’ menu:

1) Mapping children eating behaviours (so parents can rest a little more!)

2) Ground-breaking research show how cholesterol is absorbed

3) Lower salt means lower risk of high blood pressure

🧒 Mapping children eating behaviours (so parents can rest a little more) 

🥄 “Would you just have one more spoon?”

Managing a child's food intake can be frustrating at times!

But what about if we knew more about eating behaviours in children?

A recent study aimed to identify distinct eating behaviour profiles in young children (36-72 months) by examining key predictors such as temperament, food insecurity, and parental feeding practices.

The study also aimed to determine which eating behaviours could predict the likelihood of overweight in later adolescence and adulthood.

The findings revealed that children broadly fall into four categories:

· Typical (44%): They have a balanced approach to food, showing appropriate responses to internal cues of hunger and fullness.

· Fussy (16%): They tend to be selective in their food choices, showing frequent disinterest in new foods and a reluctance to try unfamiliar items.

· Avid (20%): They have a strong enthusiasm for food, often eating quickly and with a reduced sensitivity to internal fullness cues.

· Happy (18%): They exhibit a positive relationship with food, enjoying meals and snacks without excessive restriction or overconsumption.

‘Avid’ eaters, in particular, stand out due to their greater enjoyment of food, faster eating speed, and weaker sensitivity to internal fullness cues. Therefore, ‘Avid’ eaters are more likely to overeat in response to the sight, smell, or taste of appealing food.

Additionally, caregivers of ‘Avid’ eaters may be more inclined to use food as a means of emotional regulation or to restrict food due to health concerns, further complicating the situation.

These factors combined increase the risk of overeating and subsequent weight gain for ‘Avid’ eaters.

🥊 Punchline

Parents and caregivers use feeding practices as crucial interventions to influence children's eating behaviours and weight outcomes.

However, research on the impact of feeding practices on children's eating behaviours and health outcomes remains limited.

This study (and others to come) can help parents understand their child's eating profile and tailoring feeding strategies accordingly.

For instance, ‘Avid’ eaters may benefit more from covert food restriction, such as avoiding bringing snacks into the home or keeping tempting foods out of sight, to minimize the likelihood of eating food in the absence of hunger cues.

Conversely, for ‘Fussy’ children, presenting a balanced and varied selection of foods can encourage exploration and promote acceptance of new foods without imposing pressure to eat.

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🫀 Ground-breaking research show how cholesterol is absorbed 

😤 A little less of this fatty thing please

The word cholesterol often sends shivers down people's spines. Who likes the word cholesterol?

Isn't it that fatty substance that clogs our arteries, like a pile of leaves obstructing a gutter?

This was a genuine question a client asked me!

Well, cholesterol has indeed a bad reputation, but it plays crucial roles in our body. When we consider cardiovascular disease, cholesterol is often not the primary culprit; rather, its accumulation is often caused by underlying damage to the arteries.

Moving on... Cholesterol is not only found in food but also produced by the liver. This means that when we consume a significant amount of cholesterol, the liver produces less, helping to maintain balanced cholesterol levels.

However, some individuals are more susceptible to the effects of dietary cholesterol than others. This means they absorb more cholesterol and/or their livers fail to adjust cholesterol production accordingly. In either case, the outcome is elevated blood cholesterol levels, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

This is when we typically consider medications that lower liver cholesterol production. But...

A new study has revealed the precise mechanism by which dietary cholesterol is absorbed into our cells. It involves "shuttle" proteins that transport cholesterol from the gut to the internal compartment of the gut wall, where it is modified, packaged and released into the bloodstream.

Genetically modifying these "shuttle" proteins in mice resulted in a significant reduction in cholesterol absorption, protecting the animals from diet-induced high cholesterol levels when fed a high-cholesterol diet.

🥊 Punchline

This breakthrough is a significant leap forward in our comprehension of cholesterol absorption, metabolism, and its transport mechanisms.

This discovery paves the way for the development of novel therapeutic interventions. It holds promise for the design of drugs that target cholesterol "shuttles" in the gut, potentially reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

By preventing cholesterol from being absorbed into our cells, we may ultimately be able to avert high cholesterol levels in sensitive individuals and potentially saving lives.

Did you know….you can power your friends’ and family’s wellbeing with the latest nutrition science, simplified?

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🧂 Lower salt means lower risk of high blood pressure

🤌 Just a pinch less

Sodium, commonly known as salt, is found in almost every food. It’s what give food its savoury flavour. Indeed, no adding salt may make home cooked food a bit bland (that’s until your taste buds adjust to it!).

Importantly, sodium plays a crucial role in regulating blood pressure. And, excessive sodium intake (in conjunction with other things) can significantly elevate blood pressure levels.

This partially explains the common knowledge that reducing salt consumption is an effective strategy for managing blood pressure. For those individuals reluctant to forego their beloved salty fish and chips, resorting to blood pressure medication is an alternative approach (also for those with specific medical needs).

A new study has revealed that a mere reduction of one teaspoon of salt per day can reduce systolic blood pressure comparable to the effect achieved with blood pressure medication. Remarkably, this reduction in blood pressure was achieved swiftly and safely within a single week of lowering salt intake.

The study further demonstrated that nearly everyone (70-75%) can lower their blood pressure by reducing sodium intake, including individuals with normal blood pressure, high blood pressure, treated blood pressure, and untreated blood pressure.

🥊 Punchline

Managing blood pressure has never been simpler than this – reducing your daily salt intake by just one teaspoon a day. This simple change could be a game-changer for those seeking to lower their blood pressure without resorting to medication.

For those who frequently rely on work canteen for their meals, there are good news. ‘Government buying standards’ mandate that caterers refrain from adding salt to their recipes, opting instead to provide salt sachets on the side for those who prefer additional seasoning.

However, when it comes to pre-made sauces, ingredients, and takeout meals, it's essential to monitor salt content closely. Fortunately, food manufacturers are now required to clearly label the salt content per serving, making it easier to make informed choices.

This means that you can still enjoy your favourite fish and chips, just with one less teaspoon of salt.

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😂 And finally!

“Eat cheerios to lower cholesterol” may haven been an ad from the 80s 😂

To your health!

Paolo

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