http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/C_hildren_amp_W_omen_33/012510002008_L...
I was surprised by a couple things in above the article. First, it had never occurred to me to wonder *from where* the formula manufacturers got the DHA and ARA. To think that it comes from fungus and algae (with a toxic solvent used in the extraction process) scares me. Second, that the FDA is and has been aware of the fact that some infants do experience severe diarrhea when eating the enhanced formula but haven't made the general public or pediatricians aware of it is also scary.
Just curious what other mothers think about this.
Allison
Mom to Talia (10/03) and Trip (3/07)
Many manufacturers of DHA
Many manufacturers of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid) formulas get their fortificants from Martek. Their formulas are excellent and so are their Neuromins for children.
These are the essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) unique to human breast milk - mother nature's template for brain growth, development, and function. Blue/Green algae is rich in nutrients specifically omega-3 fatty acids. Its a plant source of DHA. Fatty fish is another source of DHA.
Arachadonic acid is a fatty acid found in meat, particularly organ meats. It supports brain growth and also supports 1/3 of the cells immunity function.
http://www.martek.com/
Jan Katzen-Luchenta
Author - Nutrition for Learning:Feeding the Starving Brain - Foresight nutritional counselor- Montessori educator - www.nutritionforlearning.com
Right. But what is your take
Right. But what is your take on the use of hexane to get the fatty acids out of the algae? Aren't few formulas void of the DHA/ARA? If that is the case, what option do moms have if/when their infants have problems with the synthsized fatty acids, as the study seems to show does indeed occur?
My biggest concern is that formula manufacturers are comparing their "improved" formulas to breastmilk because of these synthesized additives. By suggesting formula is almost as good as breastmilk, I think it makes it easier for moms-to-be to choose formula feeding right of the bat with their new infant and not even consider breastfeeding. There's more to breastmilk than ARA/DHA, too.
Allison
Mom to Talia (10/03) and Trip (3/07)
There is nothing that takes
There is nothing that takes the place of breast feeding. Breast milk is designed to carry on the work of mother's nutrient reserve which will continue to provide energy (60% fat) and essential fatty acids to resume brain development and systems required for neurological functioning (myelinization, synaptogenesis, etc.).
As far as hexane is concerned this is entirely new to me. Robust data in human studies show similarities in visual and cognitive outcome in infants fed formulas enriched with DHA and AA (ARA) and breast fed infants.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17240089?ordinalpos=6&itool=EntrezSys...
I will write to Dr. Kyle who is the scientist who fought to get DHA and ARA into infant formulas.
Thank-you for bringing this controversy into my viewfinder.
Jan Katzen-Luchenta
Author - Nutrition for Learning:Feeding the Starving Brain - Foresight nutritional counselor- Montessori educator - www.nutritionforlearning.com
Seems there is not much to
Seems there is not much to be concerned about. Of course Martek's oils are extracted with hexane. All the other oil in infant formulas (that represent over 95% of the oil in a formula) are also extracted with hexane. The formula company offering DHA and ARA from egg yolk does not tell you that it is all in phospholipid fraction and the amount of phospholipids delivered in the formula is about 100 times that of breast milk. They do not tell you that this also comes with a load of cholesterol (good or bad we do not know), and the biggest concern of the FDA has always been the carefulness of the preparation of the egg yolk because any small amount of egg protein coming through could be allergenic to the infant.
Moral of the story - Nothing can replace human breast milk.
Anytime food is formulated to mimic whole food nutrition there is some kind of process or additive that will compromise nutritional potency and raise other concerns. Even malnourished mothers who breastfeed put their infants at risk for neuro-developmental disorders (particularly in the perinatal cycle), health problems, and even "catch-up" obesity later on in life.
Soy formulas in Israel were taken off the market with vitamin B1 (thiamin(e) deficiencies causing siezures and neurological damage in infants.
Jan Katzen-Luchenta
Author - Nutrition for Learning:Feeding the Starving Brain - Foresight nutritional counselor- Montessori educator - www.nutritionforlearning.com
You stated 'The formula
You stated 'The formula company offering DHA and ARA from egg yolk does not tell you that it is all in phospholipid fraction and the amount of phospholipids delivered in the formula is about 100 times that of breast milk. " I was wondering where you got this information.And do you have any material of the studies to prove this? I am not really impressed with the DHA and ARA used by Martek's. I know in the process there is bleaching involved and the hexen is a hazardous thing to our invironment... I know I can get a supplement of DHA and ARA from eggs that I have been looking into. I told them of the statement you made at nature's One ..who sales supplements of DHA and ARA from egg.
This is what they stated regarding the cholesterol in it.."The cholesterol (50 milligrams per packet) contained in Baby’s Only Essentials® DHA and ARA Fatty Acid Supplement is appropriate in light of the usual range of cholesterol found in breast milk (90-150 milligrams per liter). We recommend 1 to 2 packets per day. The total cholesterol content of the diet will depend on what other foods your children consume as part of their daily diet. Too much of a “good” fat can be dangerous as it is a fat. If someone uses amounts above & beyond our label recommendations, then yes, as with any fat taken in excess, it could cause some problems. Taking more than 2 packets per day would have to be recommended by a healthcare provider.
Thanks...
Martek DHA Fatty Acids in
Martek DHA Fatty Acids in Infant Formula. There is a lot of misinformation in the above postings.
1) Frankly just because there are no immediately reported adverse effects from consuming hexane extracted vegetable oils, who knows what the long term effects are on the human health. Especially true for infants. A few years ago, nobody cared that trans fats were in all of our foods. Science discovered it was the bad fat and slowly killing us through heart disease that started very early in life. Now almost all respectable food companies took it out.
How about all the research completed on corn syrup http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/cornsyrup.html ?
How about Bisphenol-A in the lining of cans used for infant formula (http://www.ewg.org/reports/infantformula)? Is everyone comfortable about feeding those chemicals to their infant?
Look, nutritional science is evolving everyday. The louder a mega-corporation tells you their product is “perfectly safe,” the more skeptical you should be. Cigarettes anyone? How about mercury being used in vaccines? I guess we learned a lesson on that one the hard way through spiking rates of adverse reactions and autism.
See these links and decide for yourself if trusting big business is worth a closer look or being skeptical of a “reassuring” posting by a corporate spokesperson lurking on sites like this to present the company line. Many of these people are actually paid by the corporation. Too bad a full disclosure is not required.
http://cornucopia.org/index.php/replacing-mother-infant-formula-report/
2) The FDA still has reservations regarding the Martek DHA added to infant formula. Check out these FDA website links:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/inf-faq.html
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qa-inf17.html (specific questions on DHA to FDA)
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qa-inf19.html (specific questions on DHA to FDA)
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qa-inf20.html (specific questions on DHA to FDA)
3) Organic formulas DO NOT contain any vegetable oils extracted using hexane solvents. Those are prohibited by organic regulations. The sham is that the corporate formula companies (Earth’s Best Infant Formula, Similac Organic, Wal-Mart Organic), wanted a slice of the organic market. So they found a way to circumvent a well known regulation by adding Martek DHA Fatty Acids to organic infant formula. The Cornucopia report discusses this in depth. It is very disconcerting that Martek DHA fatty acids are being added to Infant Formula.
In my opinion, this discussion is a perfect place to explore and look beneath the surface of the company line.
Thank-you for the links to
Thank-you for the links to the studies and Cornucopia. The big asterisk goes beside a statement within the first few paragraphs of the main page about their reported cases of digestive disturbances in infants:
"Although a clear link could not be established there is still the potential that DHA/ARA oils are implicated in some of these cases."
I agree with you - if some children are reporting digestive disturbances then surely there should be advisement on the label.
Something else that needs to be on the label - Breast feeding is recommended for your baby's developing digestive system.
Any formula is just that, a guess. Even if it is well tolerated it does not mean that it has the nutritional calling of mother nature. There are many variables that are not discussed. Are these babies breast fed and formula fed? If this is the case and mom is drinking milk - digestive disturbances such as the described colic, acid reflux etc. can certainly occur.
Another important point are food allergies. Perhaps these infants are allergic to synthesized DHA and ARA - another reason to breastfeed. The question is - what are the long term risks in infants not getting these essential fatty acids. One has only to look at very low birth weight infants who are at high risk for neurodevelopmental disorders including cerebral palsy. If the brain is not fully developed in utero and not getting the essential fatty acids so critical in the last trimester of pregnancy in many cases the neurological damage is irreversible.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7682751?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSyst...
We can also ask for a bit more concern and recognition from the governing food agencies that allow nitrates and nitrites as preservatives in bologna, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, luncheon meats, jerky, and even meat in canned soup.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=abstractplus&db=pubm...
Their neglignece of reporting the robust data behind these food additives borders on involuntary manslaughter.
The following are quotes from scientific literature (additional references available upon request):
”Maternal hot-dog consumption of one or more times per week was associated with childhood brain tumors.”
“Nitrite and nitrate are well-known potential risk factors for gastric cancer.”
“A potential association is indicated between leukemia and nitrates, OR = 1.81 (1.35-2.42), and bone cancer with metolachlor, OR = 2.26 (0.97-5.24). These results give insight to generate a hypothesis of the potential association between exposure to these herbicides and nitrates and specific types of childhood cancer. ”
“Analyzing childhood brain tumors risk by type of cured meat ingested showed that hot dog consumption increased CBT risk by 33% (maternal intake)”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=abstractplus&db=pubm...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7682751?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSyst...
Yes, we are vulnerable anytime we fool with mother nature.
Jan Katzen-Luchenta
Author - Nutrition for Learning:Feeding the Starving Brain - Foresight nutritional counselor- Montessori educator - www.nutritionforlearning.com
One final note: I want to
One final note: I want to thank T-n-TsMom for drawing attention to these concerns. I have been working with a manufacturer of ready-to-use foods in South Africa to find a way to get these essential fatty acids to the malnourished and orphaned by HIV/AIDS. I will be contacting the scientists in the extraction process of DHA and ARA with these concerns and look at other alternatives.
Most of the ready-to-use foods have all of the RDI of vitamins and minerals but not the fatty acids from fish and meat sources.
Sad that we have to synthesize most nutrients for food aid programs.
Meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, bran and germ reinstates nutritional potency and reverses malnutrition.
Jan Katzen-Luchenta
Author - Nutrition for Learning:Feeding the Starving Brain - Foresight nutritional counselor- Montessori educator - www.nutritionforlearning.com
Miss Jan, Obviously, you are
Miss Jan,
Obviously, you are a nutritional expert. May I ask some advice? Mainly, how many grams of protein does an 8/9 yr old (active) boy need per day? My son weighs about 60/61 pounds.
My son had undiagnosed reflux from birth to age 5 and developed severe food aversions from so much throwing up and pain with eating. He also has OCD and scrutinizes every morsel. He's been in occupational therapy for sensitivity issues. Food textures and smells are a big thing with him. During his first visit with the eating specialist, she dumped a container of yogurt right on the table to see how far and fast my son would fly out of the chair. LOL. He flew back about 2 feet, but he didn't leave the room! Ultimately, she told me that his prognosis for eating "normally" was not very good. Of course, we try and try and try. Life was good, when he lived on Pediasure, but he's since given that up (thanks to another kid in 1st grade who told him that it was a "baby" drink!). My son is a vegetarian, but he will eat milk and ice cream. I struggle to get him to eat much protein and need to know if I'm hitting close to the mark. His arms are so skinny!
Also, how many carbs are too much? I'm worried that he's going to eat himself into being diabetic, despite being thin, because the main portion of his diet is carbs.
Any thoughts are appreciated!
"Only a life lived for others, is the life worthwhile" - Albert Einstein
Hello. I'm not sure what an
Hello. I'm not sure what an eating specialist is however, I don't quite understand her tactics. If your son is already sensitive to food why would she want to alarm him? Seems this would make things worse.
As far as daily protein intake goes - about 28 - 50 grams.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t044400.asp#T044403
Carbohydrates are good - just make sure the bulk are complex - whole grains, fruit, vegetables, beans, etc. You'll never have to worry about health problems. (at least 130 grams)
Please consider ordering my book - it contains nutrition basics, meal and snack plans, and recipes (created from years of feeding picky eaters). I would continue your journey of food exploration using positive reinforcement.
Roll up your sleeves and start preparing food together. Have fun - no more food fights...: )
All my very best.
Jan Katzen-Luchenta
Author - Nutrition for Learning:Feeding the Starving Brain - Foresight nutritional counselor- Montessori educator - www.nutritionforlearning.com
Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the information. 28-50 seems like a wide range. I think that we're hitting 28-32 most days.
With fears and aversions, the treatment method is mainly exposure therapy. If one's exhibits anxiety about something, the anxiety will continue or gain strength by avoiding it. The goal to is make one's brain "bored" with the source of the anxiety or worry (like how your brain just gets sick of hearing a song after ahwile). If you are afraid of snakes for example, the best way to overcome it, is to hold a snake (or step up to it, but looking at pictures of snakes, touching the pictures of snakes, looking at a real snake, getting closer to the real snake, etc.).
An eating specialist is an speech/occupational therapist with specialized training in the conditions that cause food aversions (prematurity, sensory integration disorder, OCD, reflux, disorders of the mouth or esophagus, etc.). After years of friends and pediatricians telling me to beg, bribe, coax, punish or ignore my son's eating issues, the eating specialist was the first person who never said, "well, have you tried _________". She told me immediately, that she knew that I tried everthing. Then, she explained that many people simply don't understand that there is no way that a child will eat anything - even bribed with cart blache to Toys R Us - unless the child is first comfortable with the look, smell and touch of the food. Kids with medical conditions that cause eating difficulty cannot be "convinced" to overcome their experience that eating hurts. The medical condition must be under control before a child can begin to make new food experiences. And even if the child is 8 years old, it has to start at the begginning. My son is tolerating more because he is gaining experience by literally playing with the food. Touching different foods and tolerating their smell is a huge step. We're working up to actual tasting.
Thanks for the information!
"Only a life lived for others, is the life worthwhile" - Albert Einstein
You may of not seen my
You may of not seen my question because I did not see and answer posted regarding mine....but You stated 'The formula company offering DHA and ARA from egg yolk does not tell you that it is all in phospholipid fraction and the amount of phospholipids delivered in the formula is about 100 times that of breast milk. " I was wondering where you got this information.And do you have any material of the studies to prove this? I am not really impressed with the DHA and ARA used by Martek's. I know in the process there is bleaching involved and the hexen is a hazardous thing to our invironment... I know I can get a supplement of DHA and ARA from eggs that I have been looking into. I told them of the statement you made at nature's One ..who sales supplements of DHA and ARA from egg.
This is what they stated regarding the cholesterol in it.."The cholesterol (50 milligrams per packet) contained in Baby’s Only Essentials® DHA and ARA Fatty Acid Supplement is appropriate in light of the usual range of cholesterol found in breast milk (90-150 milligrams per liter). We recommend 1 to 2 packets per day. The total cholesterol content of the diet will depend on what other foods your children consume as part of their daily diet. Too much of a “good” fat can be dangerous as it is a fat. If someone uses amounts above & beyond our label recommendations, then yes, as with any fat taken in excess, it could cause some problems. Taking more than 2 packets per day would have to be recommended by a healthcare provider.
Thanks...
HI! Not sure if anyone is
HI! Not sure if anyone is still reading this thread, but here is my question:
Are there any formulas out there without DHA/ARA? I have been looking for the past few days and only find one, Baby's Only Organic, that states it is for "toddlers". I would love to switch and be able to give my baby, who is almost 8 months old, REAL DHA!!!
Thank you for any information!
Nicole
I use baby's only organic
I use baby's only organic formula and my baby is 9 weeks old. I have used it for weeks. He does great with it and I feel good about feeding it to him..This is their website.
http://www.naturesone.com/comparison.php?gclid=COOF7_O3jpMCFRS6IgodhU2sT...
the reason stated on their website that they call it a toddlers formula is because they really want to encourage breast feeding for the first year...but you can use thier product. They have a comparison chart you can take to your doctor on their website to print out so your Doctor can look at it to see if your Doctor thinks they are fine for your baby to use...i gave it to my doctor and they said it was fine to use.
I am not the only one who uses them for my infant.
I ask email questions all the time to their people and they always reply to me in a day or 2.Or you can call them. They are very friendly and very helpfull. You can even request a free sample from their website and they will either send you a free can or they will give you a coupon for a free can. Anyways i want to encourage you to check them out. I think they are the best choice for us that I have found!
oh yeah..Nestle's Good Start
oh yeah..Nestle's Good Start also has their original formula you can buy with out the DHA and ARA added but it is not organic. But you can find that at walmart.