Vitamin D has become a very hot topic these days, as new research continues to reveal how important this vitamin is on so many levels. Various studies have shown that a vitamin D deficiency may be linked to many cancers, heart disease, MS, diabetes, and the list goes on and on! Rickets in children is a well known condition stemming from a vitamin D deficiency. Furthermore, Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and consequently affects bone health. Sunlight stimulates Vitamin D production in the skin. However, due to the very important use of sunscreen, as well as our northern climate, our children’s (and our own) sun exposure is not sufficient to sustain opt
There is so much talk about the benefits of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids that this topic definitely deserves some attention and clarification. What are they? Why do we need to worry about them? And how do we make sure that our kids are getting enough of them? Omega 3’s & Omega 6’s are essential fatty acids (EFA’s) vs. the rarely talked about Omega 9’s which are non-essential. “Essential” because our bodies can’t make enough of them so we must get them from the food we eat. Omega 9 fatty acids on the other hand are non-essential because our bodies produce them in sufficient quantities. The problem that we must concern ourselves with is that whereas the ideal ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids
Probiotics are “good” bacteria that when consumed can restore balance and help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Babies born through vaginal delivery and babies that are breast fed tend to have more “good bacteria” than those who are not. Breast milk contains probiotics, and recently they have been added to some brands of infant formula. However, there isn’t enough evidence yet to prove that these formulas have any positive effect on our children. Furthermore, it is very important to note that probiotics should never be given to children who are ill as there have been reported cases of serious infections associated with consumption of probiotics for ch
