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Human nutrition through the 'seven ages'. |
Preconception care: Nutrition and health status of both parents. The oxidative theory of death. Nutrition in the high risk infant. Childhood: Maintaining good nutrition for mental health and behavioural development. Adolescence: Preparing for adulthood. Performance: Sports nutrition – the science to make your life a great one. Educating children as progenitors of long-life health.
Preconception care: Nutrition and health status of both parents. 'Over the past twenty years, fertility problems have increased dramatically. At least 25% of couples planning a baby will have trouble conceiving, and more and more couples are turning to fertility treatments to help them have a family.' This is one of the headings on Dr Glenville's website and it was the preconceptual nutritional status of couple that was the core of her presentation for the McCarrison Society. But her focus was not just on the importance of the women's health when a couple are trying to conceive as she sees the man's health as being equally important, especially in the light of recent statistics which show that, for example, 20–25% of 18–25 year olds in Germany now have low sperm counts, or that, of a group of 19 year olds between 1996 and 2010, only 23% had optimum sperm counts. Dr Glenville suggested that if the nutritional status and lifestyle of a couple trying to conceive can be improved for even just three months prior to conception, this can dramatically improve not only their chance of conceiving but of them having a healthy baby. However, it is important that couples plan ahead as leaving it until the woman suspects she may be pregnant is already far too late as she will already have been pregnant at that point for two weeks. But, apart from nutrition, there are many lifestyle factors that need to be taken into account – viz: • Substance use or abuse – drugs, alcohol, smoking Couples with four or more of these 'negative life style factors' may take up to seven times longer to achieve a successful pregnancy. To be more specific: Alcohol, recreational drugs and some prescription drugs Smoking Caffeine Stress Environmental toxins Increased scrotal temperature Omega 3 deficiencies Vitamin D. Weight/body mass index Despite the enormous difference that preconceptual health can make to the chances of conceiving, the success of the pregnancy and the health of the child, very few couples will consider it unless they have already had trouble in conceiving. There is a huge educational job needing to be done.
The oxidative theory of death. br /> Professor Michael Crawford, Imperial College Two and a half billion years ago life consisted of anaerobic systems with no intracellular detail; these did not die. Six hundred million years ago, enough oxygen became available to allow animal life to exist – but at that point it also became possible for that life to cease to exist and for animals to die. However, it was not just the availability of oxygen that gave rise life as we understand it, but the fact that the availability of oxygen allowed the creation of lipids or fats, which in turn allowed the creation of complex lipid molecular species, membranes and intercellular and cell specialisation. Photons from the sun then combined with the lipids to create electricity and thereby, intercellular communication. The brain is made of complex membranes of fats; its chemistry did not change as animals developed, but its size did. DHA and the brain The heart and ARA Getting enough essential fatty acids:
Nutrition in the high risk infant. br /> Dr Enitan Ogundipe, Imperial College What puts a child into a 'high risk' bracket? The most common reason is being premature but a child can also become 'high risk' if it has had poor care post birth, it was too large or too small at birth or if there is some surgical or congenital abnormality. Significant predisposing factors include: Low birth weight babies – up to 2.5 kilos Preterm – up to 37 weeks Maternal health Breast milk and fortification
Childhood: Maintaining good nutrition for mental health and behavioural development. br /> Dr Alex Richardson, University of Oxford One in five children in the UK are now classed as having 'special educational needs' yet the role of nutrition is still ignored. There are a a minimum of 39 essential nutrients, many of which are essential fatty acids, that are needed for optimal development. These should come from the diet but the majority of children are not receiving an optimal diet. In the Food Standards Agency's 'Eatwell' plate, the only place for fats in the diet is in the 'bad' food section of foods that should be avoided or strictly limited. Sugar and refined carbohydrates Fats For research details please see www.fabresearch.org (Food and Behaviour Research)
Adolescence: Preparing for adulthood.br /> Dr Bernard Gesch, University of Oxford Across the world and across cultures, populations fall into three groups: • Those who never get into trouble Criminal justice assumes that conduct is a matter of free will – but the exercise of free will involves the exercise of the brain. However, to work properly, the brain needs nutrition. It also needs love and security but primarily, it needs to be properly fed. Between the ages of 10 and 16 boys go through growth spurts and puberty both of which are massive, nutrition-consuming, changes. If those boys are nutritionally deprived, can their brains function properly to allow them to make good choices? Medical science regards nutrition as 'complementary' or 'alternative' but without nutrition there can be no life; nutrition is the most basic medical science and the effects of poor nutrition do not stop at the neck. Major changes have been made in our diets over the last 50 years with no consideration at all of the possible effects of on the brain. However, even the WHO (World Health Organisation) now accepts that 30% of humanity is suffering from malnutrition (lack, in particular of Vitamin A, iodine and zinc) and that this can result in mental retardation. While 840 million people are actually starving, nutrient deprivation stretches all across the developed world and across all classes. Criminal nutrition What causes some people to commit crimes while others do not? We do not know – nor does anyone seem to be interested in investigating why those who do commit crimes do so. Yet, while there was a marked reduction in violence when lead was removed from petrol, violence against the person continued to increase dramatically over the course of the 20th century. Prison diets are not, of themselves too bad, but the dietary choices that prisoners make are often very poor. • Excess sugar • Nutritional supplementation Facts: Question: Note:
Performance: Sports nutrition – the science to make your life a great one. br /> Matt Lovell, performance nutritionist It is easy to forget that even elite athletes are just ordinary people eating the same diet as most other people yet making far from ordinary demands on their bodies. The purpose of sports nutrition is to enable athletes to endure and compete over a long period. Over the course of a match or an event there will be not only carbohydrate and liquid depletion but sodium and nutrient depletion affecting not just muscles but the digestion, the hormonal system and the brain. Moreover, athletes put themselves under constant stress so their nutritional regime has to allow them to 'power down' after each session so as to be able to prepare for the following one – and to be able to enhance their performance on each occasion. Matt them went on to give details of some of the types of nutritional regime that he might devise for specific sports or practitioners of those sports. If you are interested in more details of his protocols and regimens contact him at info@performanceandfunction.co.uk
Educating children as progenitors of long-life health. br /> Rev. Simon House, Chair, McCarrison Society Children need to understands, from early on in life, that their lifestyle will affect not only their own health but the health of their children and grandchildren. They need to understand the basics of nutrition and how nutrition affects the functioning of their brains and their emotions. Adaptability/epigenetics Genes and gene expression remain stable, but, epigenetics (the effect of the environment on those genes) can enable them to adapt. Stages in human nutritional evolution: • Algae By changing our biosphere we are also changing ourselves – constantly 're-setting' our switches. • But does this re-setting happen properly if nutrition is poor? If nutrition is poor, brain connections are poor and this affects how we feel and how we control our impulses. We need a third agricultural revolution – to sea farming: • We need to control sewage discharge into the sea and recycle the sewage.
For further information about the McCarrison Society and its work check their website at www.mccarrisonsociety.org.uk
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