Search

Background: The most common micronutrient deficiencies in Ecuadorian schoolchildren are vitamin A (VA), zinc, and iron. The objective of the present study was to test the efficacy of cow's milk as a vehicle for VA, zinc, and iron supplementation.Methods: Three hundred twenty-eight children aged 6-10 years were included in a randomized, double blind controlled study; 173 children received 480 mL of whole milk (300 Kcals; G1) daily and 155 children received fortified milk (300 Kcals; G2) daily for 23 weeks. Participants had a nutritional evaluation before and after supplementation. Both treatment groups were comparable for gender, age, weight and height at the beginning of the study.Results: Both types of milk were well accepted by the participating children. Data showed that serum concentrations of VA, zinc, and iron significantly increased within both treatment groups. The increase in serum concentrations of the indicated micronutrients was significantly greater in children with deficiencies than in non-deficient ones. There were not significant differences in serum concentrations of VA, zinc, and iron between groups after supplementation. Data also showed that there was an increase in the percentage of children with normal BMI at the expense of a decrease of the percentage of children with excess weight at the end of the treatment period in G1 whereas in G2 it remained unchanged. Blood lipid profiles were normal before and after milk supplementation in both treatment groups.Conclusions: These data indicated that fortified and non-fortified milk are excellent options to increase serum VA, zinc, and iron concentration in schoolchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to demonstrate that type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in school children and adolescents is associated with the early introduction of pasteurized/raw cow's milk in the second semester of life.Material and Methods: this non-probabilistic study included 150 subjects (75 patients and 75 controls), divided according to sex and age (range, 6 to 16 years). T1DM was considered to be a dependent variable, and pasteurized/ raw cow's milk (P/RCM) was considered to be an independent variable in the study. The statistical analyses included chi-squared test, odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals.Results: the subjects were 51% male, age 11 ± 3.2 years, and 80% were breastfed, 18% were exclusively breastfed, and 13% received pasteurized/raw cow's milk. The children receiving P/RCM had a higher risk of T1DM [OR, 3.9 (1.2-12.8)]. The presence of T1DM was three times higher in those consuming P/RCM vs. those receiving follow-up formula [RM, 3.2 (1.03-10.07)].Conclusions: introducing pasteurized/raw cow's milk in the second semester of life increased by four times the likelihood of developing T1DM in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia is one of the most relevant risk factors in cardiovascular disease, where use of plant sterols one strategy evident. Aim: To determine the effectiveness of a rich in phytosterols for reducing markers of cardiovascular disease in young adult population milk. Methods: A randomized, clinical controlled trial, double-blind crossover study. Sterols (2.24 g per day) were ingested through commercial milk, with two phases and three weeks respectively separated by a washout period of 2 weeks, for those subjects during the “milk of study", and the same amount of skim milk, sterols, for placebo. At the beginning and end of each phase blood draws were performed.. Lipid profile, hematology, inflammation, etc; anthropometric data, health habits and blood laboratory markers were collected. Results: Nineteen people completed the study of 34.68 years (± 6.91). Difference between baseline and final scores were 19.47 (± 29.10) mg/dl, 24.47 (± 30.68) mg/dl, 14.36 (± 44.16) mg/dl for LDL-cholesterol, total Cholesterol and Triglycerides, respectively. Without considerable changes in HDLc. There are significant differences between placebo and milk with sterols for LDL (p=0.009) and total Cholesterol (p=0.003). Conclusions: Sterols supplied in a functional food, such as milk, can be a strategy for non- pharmacological treatment of hypercholesterolemia and therefore a tool for cardiovascular risk reduction globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Beverage consumption is becoming more important in current research regarding its possible association with the childhood obesity epidemic. The influence of physical activity on fluid intake has been poorly studied, and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) may be a reliable marker for this type of assessment. The present study analysed beverage intake related to weight, adjusted by CRF, in children aged 9 to 11 years. Methods: A cross-sectional, school-based study was conducted on 373 children, aged 9 to 11 years, from the Cuenca province in Spain. To obtain beverage consumption we averaged two 24-h recalls, collected using the YANA-C assessment tool, validated for HELENA study. CRF was assessed by the 20-m shuttle run test. Results: Fluid intake was 1483.39 mL/day, and energy ascribed to fluids was 16% of total energy intake. Beverages were 40% of total sugar intake from diet. The largest amount of fluid consumed among thinness boys came from fruit juices and milk drinks. Thinner girls consumed more diet drinks and whole milk than their normal and overweight counterparts, after adjusting for age and CRF. Conclusions: Overweight-obese boys consumed less fruit juices and milk drinks and girls ingested less diet drinks and whole milk than their normal-weight counterparts. These results suggest the importance of investigating the hydration habits of children to draw reliable conclusions about the best way to hydrate in different situations to avoid adiposity increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comparison study of two school children groups with different income level shows that those from a poor peripheral district of Madrid suffer from a delay in their physical development, with weight and height measurements below their age standard. Weight delay is proportionally higher than that of the height. A 2.94 years delay is observed when applying WETZEL to these groups of children within an average age of 10.14. The global delay in the somatic development represents 29% of the average chronological age. This delay in the development may be mostly due to causes related to diet, not only to specific deficiencies, but rather to deficient amounts in the overall food intake. From the quality point of view, milk deficiency is probably one of the main factors linked to the origin of this development disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]