Food Sensitivity

Too Sweet to Be Good? The Potential Health Hazards of Artificial Sweeteners

By Frank M. Painter|December 27, 2012|Artificial Sweeteners, Attention Deficit, Chemical Sensitivity, Environmental Sensitivity, Food Sensitivity, Headache, Obesity, Pediatrics|

Too Sweet to Be Good? The Potential Health Hazards of Artificial Sweeteners

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: Dynamic Chiropractic

By Claudia Anrig, DC

With worldwide obesity rates doubling in the past three decades, is it any surprise that artificial sweeteners have been gaining popularity? Beginning with the creation of saccharin, “sugar substitutes” have become the supposed answer to a dieter’s prayer – and part of the daily diet of many of our children.

Let’s review the various sugar substitutes on the market today to appreciate what they are and why they may not be the best option in terms of your patients’ – and your – health.

Aspartame: NutraSweet or Equal

This sugar substitute was discovered in 1965 by accident while chemist James Schlatter was testing an anti-ulcer drug. [1] Aspartame gained FDA approval in 1981 and was approved in 1983 for use in carbonated beverages, where it is most commonly found now as the primary sweetener for most diet sodas. [2]

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA and has been linked to serious medical reactions. [3, 4] Researchers and physicians studying these reactions have concluded that the following chronic illnesses can worsen when ingesting aspartame: brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes. [4] (more…)

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Children from middle class families more likely to suffer peanut allergy

By John Wiens DC|November 13, 2012|Food Sensitivity|

Suggests that oversanitization might suppress the natural development of the immune system

Source The Telegraph

Children who have a peanut allergy tend to come from wealthier families, researchers have suggested.

Scientists say that this backs up the hygiene hypothesis that cleaner homes tend to increase the risk of childhood allergies.

They found that high income and hygiene habits could be increasing susceptibility as they discovered a link between peanut allergy in children and their families socio-economic status.

With the number of peanut allergies among children increasing the team from the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) believe that one reason might be due to the wealth of their families.

The theory suggests that a lack of early childhood exposure to germs increases the chance for allergic diseases, that over sanitisation might suppress the natural development of the immune system.

Peanut allergy can be life-threatening with sufferers going into anaphylactic shock, but more commonly it causes itching in the mouth, a rash and swelling of the face, lips, eyes and tongue.

Study author Dr Sandy Yip said: “Overall household income is only associated with peanut sensitization in children aged one to nine years.

“This may indicate that development of peanut sensitization at a young age is related to affluence, but those developed later in life are not.”

Her team looked at 8,306 patients, 776 of which had an elevated antibody level to peanuts.

Peanut allergy was generally higher in men and racial minorities across all age groups. The researchers also found that peanut specific antibody levels peaked between the ages of 10 and 19, but tapered off after middle age.

ACAAI president Doctor Stanley Fineman said: “While many children can develop a tolerance to food allergens as they age, only 20 per cent will outgrow a peanut allergy.

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Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies for Children With Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

By Frank M. Painter|February 21, 2012|ADHD, Attention Deficit, Chiropractic Care, Food Sensitivity, Supplementation|

Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies for Children With Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: Alternative Medicine Review 2011 (Dec); 16 (4): 323–37

Janice Pellow, M.Tech (Hom),
Elizabeth M. Solomon, HD, ND, DO, BA,
Candice N. Barnard, M.Tech (Hom), B.Phys.Ed

University of Johannesburg, Department of Homeopathy,
Johannesburg, South Africa.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a commonly diagnosed childhood disorder characterized by impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. ADHD affects up to 1 in 20 children in the United States. The underlying etiologies of ADHD may be heterogeneous and diverse, and many possible risk factors in the development of ADHD have been identified. Conventional treatment usually consists of behavioral accommodations and medication, with stimulant medication most commonly being prescribed. Parents concerned about the side effects and long-term use of conventional medications are increasingly seeking alternatives to pharmacologic treatment. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) offers parents various treatment options for this condition, including dietary modifications, nutritional supplementation, herbal medicine, and homeopathy. CAM appears to be most effective when prescribed holistically and according to each individual’s characteristic symptoms. Possible etiologies and risk factors for the condition also need to be considered when developing a treatment plan. This article serves to highlight the latest research regarding the most commonly used CAM for children with ADHD.

Table 1. Risk Factors for ADHD (more…)

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New Study Ties Processed Foods To ADHD in 78% of Children

By Frank M. Painter|February 10, 2011|ADHD, Attention Deficit, Education, Food Sensitivity, Pediatrics, Processed Foods, Research, Supplementation|

New Study Ties Processed Foods To ADHD in 78% of Children

The Chiro.Org Blog

According to a new study, just published in Lancet Journal, a diet free of processed foods significantly reduces the symptoms of ADHD in 78% of 4-8 year old children. This 5-week study involving 100 subjects found that 63% of them experienced a relapse in ADHD symptoms upon re-introduction of problem foods into the diet.

This randomized crossover study was titled Effects of a Restricted Elimination Diet on the Behaviour of Children With Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (INCA study). Patients in the Netherlands and Belgium were enrolled via announcements in medical health centres and through media announcements. In the open-label phase (or first phase), children aged 4—8 years, who were diagnosed with ADHD, were randomly assigned to either 5 weeks of a restricted elimination diet (diet group) or to instructions for a healthy diet (control group). [1]

In the second phase, those children who responded positively (with an improvement of at least 40% on the ADHD rating scale) proceeded into the second phase, with a 4-week double-blind crossover food challenge, in which they were exposed to either a high-IgG or low-IgG food diet (classified on the basis of every child’s individual IgG blood test results).
(more…)

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