Food Allergy Living Blog Tagged Results

To start off our ingredient series, I wanted to review the basics about fats and why they are an important part of a person’s diet.

The main purpose of fats is to serve as a storage system. They can also be used as an energy source if the body is depleted of necessary carbohydrates. Fats provide more calories (9 calories/gram) than both carbohydrates and protein (4 calories/gram), but this doesn’t mean they are bad and should be avoided! As you probably know, there are both good and bad fats.

Bad Fats

Saturated and trans fats are known as the “bad fats,” as they are linked to raising cholesterol levels and are attributed to increased risk for heart disease. Examples of bad fats include butter, animal fats, fried foods, all those yummy pastries, stick margarines and shortenings. Although these fats are known as the “bad fats” they are still okay to have in moderation, so it’s not necessary to strike them completely from the diet!

Good Fats

There are two types of unsaturated fats – polyunsaturated or monounsaturated. They are known as the “good fats” and aid in lowering cholesterol levels and are beneficial in fighting heart disease. Examples of good fats include vegetable oils, avocados, peanut butter, nuts, seeds and fatty fish like salmon and trout. If you want to learn more about good and bad fats, the American Heart Association has some fun facts.

Triglycerides

Now that we know the basics of fats, I wanted to briefly discuss triglycerides. Triglycerides are the chemical form in which most fat exists in food as well as in the body. There are two types of triglycerides — Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) and Long Chain Triglycerides (LCTs). Both refer to the length of the carbon chain of a fatty acid.

• MCTs are comprised of 6 to 12 carbon chains and are considered saturated fats. They are beneficial in the treatment of constipation or as a natural laxative and are digested more easily than LCTs.
• LCTs have a carbon chain greater than 12 and can be monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fats. LCTs have been studied and shown to repair the gut if it’s been damaged. ¹

Normal fats and oils contain LCTs and MCTs. Both types of triglycerides are beneficial and should be incorporated into your child’s diet.

DHA and ARA

Next, I wanted to touch on DHA and ARA which has been a hot topic for some time now. DHA and ARA are polyunsaturated fatty acids which are naturally found in breast milk. Studies have shown that they aid in brain and vision development, and are most effective when provided in the diet for up to 6 months of age. With this, it was also found that formula fed babies were getting less DHA and ARA than breast fed babies, so now most formulas have a formula option with DHA and ARA. ^{2, 3, 4} This means, if your little one needs to be formula fed, now you can ensure that he or she is getting enough DHA and ARA that is needed to meet their needs!

Now that we know the basics of fats, look out for Christine’s blog next week when she will continue this topic to discuss the fats found in Neocate!

- Nita

References: 1. Warner BW, Vanderhoof JA, Reyes JD. What's new in the management of short gut syndrome in children. J Am Coll Surg. 2000 Jun;190(6):725-36.
2. Birch, EE, Hoffman, DR, Uauy, R et al. Visual Acuity and the Essentiality of Docosahexanoic Acid and Arachidonic Acid in the Diets of Term infants. Pediatr Res. 44:201-209, 1998.
3. Birch, EE, Garfield, S, Hoffman, DR et al. A Randomized Controlled Trail of Early Dietary Supply of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Mental Development in Term Infants. Develop Med Child Neurol. 42: 174-181, 2000
4. Hoffman DR, Birch EE, Castañeda YS, Fawcett SL, Wheaton DH, Birch DG, Uauy R. Visual function in breast-fed term infants weaned to formula with or without long-chain polyunsaturates at 4 to 6 months: a randomized clinical trial. J Pediatr. 2003 Jun;142(6):669-77.

Back in our vitamin series we often referenced the ingredient list on formula & food labels and helped identify some of those long words as vitamins. This sparked us to think about ingredients in general and the importance of understanding ingredients when dealing with food allergies.

There is so much more to ingredients then what’s listed on the label. So, of course, we decided to blog about it! Understanding fats, carbohydrates and proteins will be the topic of our next series. Within the next few months we hope to cover some common inquiries such as types of fat, healthy vs. unhealthy fats, types of carbohydrate including corn, identify sugars, and hidden allergens such as dairy, and explain the building blocks of protein.

A few things to keep in mind while reading those labels and looking at ingredient lists:

• The FDA requires all manufacturers to list all ingredients in the food on the label.
• Based on the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, manufacturers are required to list the top eight foods which account for the most food allergies in commonly used terms. This does not include allergens accidentally introduced during manufacturing or packaging through cross-contamination.
• Ingredients are listed in order of predominance. The ingredient used in the greatest amount is listed first, followed by those in smaller amounts listed next, in descending order.
• There are several different types of ingredients such as:
  • Preservatives (ascorbic acid, citric acid) to prevent food from spoiling
  • Emulsifiers (soy lecithin, mono-and diglycderides) which allow smooth mixing and prevent separation
  • Sweeteners (saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium) to add sweetness with or without the extra calories
  • Color Additives (citrus red no. 2, beta-carotene) which offsets color loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes or moisture

Don’t forget to check back with us next week as we kick-off our ingredient series with the topic of fats. Do you have any questions on what’s listed in the ingredients on food labels?

- Sarah

When you or your child has food allergies, looking at food labels and ingredients is essential. Have you ever looked at an ingredient list of one of your favorite foods and been unsure about some of those “big” words, like cyanobalamin or pyridoxine? What about the nutrient chart, when you see pantotenic acid or niacin listed, ever wondered what those really were? Surprisingly to some, these are all B vitamins. There are actually a total of 8 B vitamins in all which many refer to as the vitamin B complex. The vitamin B complex includes:

• Thiamine (B1)

• Riboflavin (B2)

• Niacin (B3)

• Pantothenic Acid (B5)

• Pyridoxine (B6)

• Biotin (B7)

• Folic Acid (B9)

• Cyanobalamin (B12)

As a whole, these 8 vitamins provide overall good health including, the maintenance of healthy skin, hair and eyes. Each B vitaminis also important individually.

• Niacin (B3) is not only important for healthy skin, it also plays a role in the health of our nervous and digestive systems.
• Pyridoxine (B6) is needed in the production of red blood cells which carry oxygen throughout our bodies
• Thiamine (B1) helps breakdown carbohydrates into simple sugars called glucose which gives us energy.
• Some of the B vitamins like Folic Acid (B9) and Cyanobalamin (B12) also work together to make DNA which is important for all of our cells. Another interesting fact about Cyanobalamin (B12) is that it is stored in our livers, typically enough is stored to sustain a person for several years!

All of the B vitamins are water soluble and will disperse throughout the body. Most B vitamins should be replenished often since any excess is excreted in the urine. The B vitamins can be found in several different foods such as whole grain cereals, rice, meats, fish, fruitslike bananas, potatoes, milk and leafy green vegetables.

Now when you read those ingredient list and nutrient charts you can be armed with a little more knowledge and comfort knowing that these are vitamins and not any hidden allergens you or your little ones may not be able to tolerate. Do you ever wonder about any other “big” words on food labels? Let us know, we’d love to tell you about them!

- Sarah

It’s common for children with milk allergies to also have sensitivities to other common allergens like soy, wheat and corn. Since Neocate contains “corn syrup solids,” I often get asked if Neocate is safe for children with corn allergies.

The answer is Yes – Neocate is typically safe for children with a corn allergy. Even though “corn syrup solids” are listed on the ingredient list, corn allergies are usually the result of the body being unable to tolerate the corn protein. In Neocate, all of the corn protein has been extracted out of the corn syrup leaving only the corn carbohydrate source which is suitable for a child with a corn allergy. (Also, the corn source in Neocate is non-GMO, which means it does not come from genetically modified organisms.)

However, be careful! Food labels can be confusing and other products listing “corn syrup” as an ingredient, might not be safe for your little one. When in doubt, check with your doctor and/or the manufacturer.

Any other questions about the ingredients in Neocate? Let us know!

-Mallory

According to the Food and Drug Administration, McCormick and Company, Inc. is voluntarily recalling particular Lawry’s Fajitas Spices and Seasonings packages because they contain undeclared milk ingredients. This recall was initiated after it was discovered that the product was mispackaged and therefore, the package label did not list milk as an ingredient. Those with an allergy or intolerance to milk should not use this product.

The recalled Lawry’s Fajita Spices and Seasonings packages have a UPC Code of 2150022500 and a “best if used by” date of OCT0110PX62.

All grocery stores are removing the recalled products from their shelves.

If you purchased this product and would like a replacement or refund, call 1-800-952-9797.

- Christine