Healthy food translates to better performance, immunity in kids

For proper growth, children need
good food.Dieticians have long been saying that mothers should ensure that they serve their children a balanced meal. The emphasis on this is because the immune system of children needs good food to function properly and ensure good academic performance at school, reports Sade Oguntola.

Researchers have uncovered fresh evidence to support what mothers everywhere have long been saying: the immune system needs food to function properly and ensure good academic performance at school. Working on mice in a laboratory study, University of Chicago researchers found that restricting their subjects’ food intake by 30 per cent significantly decreased the amount of available B cells, which produce antibodies and maintain immune memory. Without these cells, the immune system must re-learn how to fight a threat if it reappears.

Findings of the study have been published in the latest issue of the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. Though experts, for long, have emphasised that infections are more frequent and tend to be chronic in malnourished children, the US researchers pointed out that “a 30 per cent restriction in food intake does not affect body mass and only minimally reduces activity in deer mice, but it eliminates the long-term immune protection provided by antibodies.”

Healthy diet also means better school performance. Kids who eat better perform better in school, according to another study involving Nova Scotian fifth-graders in Canada. Dr. Paul J. Veugelers of the University of Alberta in Edmonton and colleagues found that students who ate an adequate amount of fruit, vegetables, protein, fibre and other components of a healthy diet were significantly less likely to fail a literacy test.

They looked at 4,589 fifth-graders participating in the Children’s Lifestyle and School performance Study, 875 (19.1 per cent) of who had failed an elementary literacy assessment. They gathered information on the dietary intake, height and weight of each student, as well as examining socio-demographic variables. Using a food frequency questionnaire, the researchers calculated each student’s intake of foods from recommended food groups as well as energy and nutrient intake. On the basis of the latter, they calculated the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I), a composite measure of diet quality.

In particular, Students with an increased fruit and vegetable intake and lower calorie intake of fat were found significantly less likely to fail the assessment. Dietary fat intake was also demonstrated as important to academic performance. The researchers stated “The better a student’s eating habits based on several measures of diet quality, including adequacy and variety, the less likely he or she was to have failed the test, even after they adjusted the data for the effects of parental income and education, school and sex. “.

Researchers encouraged schools to emphasise nutrition and free meals programmes, stating, “These findings support the broader implementation and investment in effective school nutrition programmes that have the potential to improve student’s diet quality, academic performance and, over the long term, their health.” Aside the study demonstrating the independent importance of overall diet quality to academic performance, the consistency of this association across various indicators of diet quality gives emphasis to the importance of children’s nutrition not only at breakfast but also throughout the day in the study titled “Diet Quality and Academic Performance”. It was published in the April edition of the Journal of School Health.

Meanwhile, experts have been questioning the fact that despite our improved standard of living infections and disease are more rampant and our bodies are not able to respond effectively. The answers lie in eating habits. Little do we realise that being fed on “junk” food and the “rushed” eating habits are taking a heavy toll on physical and mental health of all individuals. There is the need to build the body immunity through eating. Foods must be as close to their “whole” or natural state as possible. Such foods are called whole foods and are not pre-processed in any way.

The key to true health is to have a balanced whole foods diet. Such a diet ensures that the three functions of digestion - absorption, assimilation and elimination – work in perfect harmony. In addition, there are natural ways we can strengthen our immune system. Some of these ways are listed here:

Get plenty of sleep and rest, the body rejuvenates and strengthens when it is at rest. Many people like to think they can function just fine on five to seven hours a night, but the truth is, we require at least eight to 10 hours per night.

Cut down worry and learn to relief yourself of stress. There are studies that prove that stress and depression affect the body physically and can even weaken the immune system.

Eat a well balanced diet and do not skip meals. A balanced diet ensures that the three functions of digestion - absorption, assimilation and elimination – work in perfect harmony.

Always take a multivitamin, learn what your body is lacking. For example, women need extra calcium. We need extra folic acid as well.

Have a regular exercise regimen. Exercise makes our body stronger; increases circulation of blood and nutrients; and helps flush the body of toxins.

Drink plenty of water, this helps flush the body of toxins and keeps you well hydrated.

Eat foods with high antioxidant levels. Antioxidants are vitamins in your diet that can reduce your risk of cancer and other diseases and can give your immune system a boost. Eat a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are excellent sources of antioxidants.

Antioxidant vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene. Food sources include: fruits and vegetables, dairy products, melons, berries, dark greens, whole grains, dairy and meats.