Breakfast for kidlets

Researchers have observed children eating breakfast at several summer camps in the United States and published their findings in this week's Paediatrics Journal. Their aim was to record whether children would eat low sugar prepared breakfast cereals, and how consumption was affected by sugar intake.

image via balancing motherhood

Children who ate high sugar breakfasts ate significantly larger portions and were less likely to choose fruit to add to their cereals, than their low sugar consuming counterparts. Even when sugar was added by the participants to their cereals, the low sugar participants added greater volumes of sugar but still came out lower (by almost half) in their overall sugar consumption at breakfast.

image via almighty dad

Children who ate a low sugar breakfast consumed a larger portion of their calories from the fresh fruit available. All children reported "liking" or "loving" their breakfast but when asked to rate high sugar cereals alongside low sugar cereals, high sugar obviously won. So is the best solution then, to only offer low sugar cereals?

image via aussie favourites

I would suggest that prepared breakfast cereals are not the best choice for breakfasts (see below) but if necessary, then make a choice for low sugar as well as low salt. Last year Choice compared and published the nutritional content of a range of Australian breakfast cereals including all cereals marketed directly at children. They used the traffic light system to act as a guide for appropriate levels of saturated fats, sugars and salt. Very few cereals passed the review.

In this week's research the difference between high sugar and low sugar groups was clear in nutritional outcomes. What are you children eating for breakfast?

image via american feast

NOTE: for a healthy breakfast start with fresh fruit and live yoghurt (with no sugar added). Add a boiled egg and some sourdough, or homemade bircher muesli to fill up further. For a breakfast on the run, a fibre filled berry smoothie could be another option. Enjoy!

The role of Lactobacillus acidophilus in immunomodulation

via musee-afrappier

The two most important groups of bacteria that I promote are Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces. Lactobacillus acidophilus are literally "acid loving bacteria that form in milk".

The interaction between healthy microbes and the internal lining of the intestines is essential for healthy digestion to occur. L. acidophilus thrive in the gastrointestinal tract and assist in digestion but also in building a strong immune function.

The lymphatic system forms part of the immune system and the largest mass of lymph tissue is in the intestinal tract. This lymphoid tissue is known as Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT). It is here that the action of microbes have a clearly defined impact on the immune system via the digestive tract.

In research published this week in PNAS, it was observed that "multiple transcriptional networks involved in mucosal development and function were regulated" by Lactobacillus acidophilus. Immunomodulation that occurs in the gut as an action of this good bacteria is only one result observed by the researchers.

Lactobacillus acidophilus is a live bacteria available from fermented dairy products such as yoghurt. Yoghurt may contain strains of Lactobacillus but does not always contain acidophilus. Always read the label to check what strains are included. L. acidophilus converts milk sugars (lactose) into lactic acid. Lactic acid then acts on the milk proteins (cassein) rendering it a partially digested, fermented and live food. This process is known as culturing and changes the smell, flavour and taste of milk as well as the structure of the original product. People with milk intolerance may be able to eat yoghurt due to the changes in lactose and cassein that have occurred.