The newly-formed group of low-carb diet advocates pointed to a large and growing body of scientific research that demonstrates how carbohydrate restriction is a safe and effective dietary strategy to prevent and even reverse chronic diet-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.

According to the 2014 meta analysis cited by LCAN, among 59 eligible articles reporting 48 unique randomized trials (including 7,286 individuals) and compared with no diet, the largest weight loss was associated with low-carbohydrate diets.

Currently, theDGA does not include a low-carb diet plan. Members of LCAN have said that current dietary guidelines do not apply to most Americans and that a variety of dietary options should be presented to Americans.

One size does not fit all. If there is anything we've learned over the last four years, it's that the low-carb approach should be a viable option," said Dr. Eric Westman, Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University.

LCAN plans to launch a grassroots campaign in the coming months to urge leaders at USDA and HHS to ensure that a properly defined low-carb diet is included in the DGA to provide a dietary option for the majority of Americans who suffer from diet-related, chronic diseases.

According to Dr. Charles Cavo, co-founder and chief medical officer of Pounds Transformation in West Hartford, Connecticut, USDA and HHS officials have definedlow-carb inaccurately in the their scientific reviews.

Theyve defined the diet as having a carbohydrate intake of <45% or less of overall daily calories, while leading experts in the field define a low-carb diet as <25% or less, noted Dr. Cavo, which translates to 51-130 grams/day.

More extreme carbohydrate restrictive nutrition plans such as the ketogenic diet recommend that less 10% of overall daily calories come from carbohydrates.

LCAN defines a low-carb diet as reducing carbohydrate intake to below 25% of total calories, which can benefit most individuals especially those who are overweight or obese or people

with pre-diabetes/diabetes, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, and unfavorable blood lipids that contribute to heart disease, such as low HDL-cholesterol and high triglycerides (fatty acids in the blood).

Essentially, according to LCAN's website, its general definition of a low carb diet looks similar to an inverted version of the current USDA-HHS dietary guidelines, in which fats and protein make up the base of the pyramid.

If the government has any responsibility to give advice on nutrition it should be focused on those who have a medical condition which is impacted by nutrition and provide evidence-based nutrition solutions, one being a low-carb diet. This diet is highly effective to prevent and treat diet-related illnesses and has decades of evidence to support it, said Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, professor of family medicine at West Virginia University.

The rise in popularity of low-carb diets such as going keto or simply a general avoidance of carbohydrates is a prevalent consumer trend. However, is this cautionary tale unfairly demonizing all sources of carbohydrates, even one from whole food sources?

Dr. Dana Ryan, Herbalife Nutritions director of sports performance and education told this publication that carbs have their place in the American diet, in balance with other macronutrients such as protein and fats.

Weve gotten to the point where weve demonized carbohydrates without adequate education that I think in a way is really hurting us.

We really go back to this notion of balance, rather than there be one macronutrient thats superior to the rest, said Dr. Ryan.

Dr. Ryan also noted that consumer education is needed around the source of cabrohydrates (e.g. carbs from whole grains and fruit vs. refined flours and sugar).

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Coalition pushes for 'low-carb' diet to be added to 2020 Dietary Guidelines - FoodNavigator-USA.com

When we eat whole nuts, they take longer to chew and this can slow us down and make us feel fuller sooner

by: Len Rome

(WYTV) Some of us will eat our way through the Christmas season, while others will at least try to avoid packing on extra pounds this month.

If thats you, one way to avoid putting on extra weight is to help yourself to the holiday nut bowl.

Dietitians say adding the right amount of nuts to your diet can be beneficial.

When people were increasing their nut consumption by what they said was half a serving, which boils down to a tablespoon and a half of peanutsraw peanuts or two tablespoons of walnuts, a tree nut option, they were associated with less long-term weight gain, said Ryanne Lachman from the Cleveland Clinic.

Nuts are good, but eating nut butters did not have the same protective effect against weight gain.

When we eat whole nuts, they take longer to chew and this can slow us down and make us feel fuller sooner.

Add nuts to salads. Try chopped walnuts or sliced almonds, or add them to cooked dishes, such as green beans.

Stick to two handfuls of nuts each day. The healthiest way to enjoy them is in their raw form, with no added sugar or salt.

More:
Len Romes Local Health: Adding nuts to your diet to reduce weight gain - WYTV

Healthy diets have benefits that extend beyond conferring alower risk of chronic diseases. Astudy from Brigham and Womens Hospital found they helped prevent aloss of hearing sensitivity.

The protection offered was significant because it involved hearing frequencies needed to understand speech.

In the research, scientists used data collected in the Nurses Health Study II Conservation of Hearing Study to monitor changes in hearing sensitivity over three years.

They observed that women whose diets most closely resembled the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), the Alternate Healthy Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) showed considerably less decline in hearing sensitivity.

According to lead author Sharon Curhan, aphysician and epidemiologist in the Brighams Channing Division of Network Medicine, aloss of hearing due to aging is not unavoidable.

A common perception is that hearing loss is an inevitable part of the aging process. However, our research focuses on identifying potentially modifiable risk factors that is, things that we can change in our diet and lifestyle to prevent hearing loss or delay its progression, she said.

Earlier research indicates that areduced likelihood of self-reported hearing decline is linked to higher consumption of certain foods. These include fish, leafy greens and beans, as well as carrots, oranges and other fruits and vegetables. In the recent study, the scientists endeavored to build on these findings by examining food intake and objectively assessing hearing sensitivity.

With this intent, the researchers used 20years of food intake records collected every four years and investigated how eating patterns resembled the three commonly recommended healthy diets: the MedDiet, AHEI-2010 and DASH. Adherence to each of these diets has been linked to healthy aging, along with adecreased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

The results revealed that women who most closely followed the healthy diets had a30-percent lower likelihood of mid-frequency sound hearing loss. They also had a25-percent lower risk of high-frequency hearing decline.

The association between diet and hearing sensitivity decline encompassed frequencies that are critical for speech understanding, Curhan said. We were surprised that so many women demonstrated hearing decline over such arelatively short period of time. The mean age of the women in our study was 59years; most of our participants were in their 50s and early 60s. This is ayounger age than when many people think about having their hearing checked.

Acquired hearing loss can result from the cumulative influence of many factors, Curham told Olive Oil Times. These consist of reduced blood flow to the cochlea, the main organ of hearing in the inner ear; injury from low oxygen; oxidative damage; inflammation; and neurodegeneration along auditory pathways.

A healthy diet may help prevent hearing loss by anumber of mechanisms, which involve protection against oxidative damage, along with improvement of beneficial blood lipids and endothelial function, Curham added. Eating nutritious foods also may lower blood pressure and inflammation advantages that promote better blood flow and reduce neurodegeneration.

Based on the findings, the authors concluded that ahealthy diet may decrease the risk of acquired hearing loss.

Given that hearing loss is so common, a30 percent lower risk is considerable, Curham said.

The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Read more from the original source:
Healthy Diets Linked to Lower Risk of Hearing Loss - Olive Oil Times

A vegan couple have been charged with first-degree murder after their 18-month-old son starved to death on a diet of only raw fruit and vegetables.

Ryan Patrick O'Leary, 30, and Sheila O'Leary, 35, were also charged with aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter, child abuse and two counts of child neglect by a grand jury in Lee County, Florida, on Wednesday.

A police report said their son, who has not been named, weighed only 17 pounds (8kg) when he died.

Experts said the weight is in line with what a seven-month-old child should weigh.

The couple from Cape Coral, Florida, told officers they are vegan and only eat raw fruits and vegetables.

Mrs O'Leary had called 911 in September when she noticed her son was not breathing and felt cold, according to a police report.

She tried to resuscitate the baby but he was dead when paramedics arrived, according to the Florida broadsheet the News-Press.

State Attorney Amira Fox said the charges the couple face also cover the alleged treatment of their three other children, who are said to have suffered from child abuse and extreme neglect.

They have a three and a five-year-old child who are now in state custody, while an 11-year-old is in the care of her biological father, NBC News reports.

Mrs Fox said: "The evidence and crime scene in this case are gut-wrenching.

"These are images as a mother and state attorney I will not be able to forget."

The couple are set to appear in court on Monday.

See the original post here:
Vegan parents accused of starving child to death on diet of fruit and vegetables - Sky News

During the Washington Capitals west coast swing, Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson did an interview with Linda Cohn for a feature on ESPN+. During the interview, we learned that Ovechkin would instantly retire if he broke Wayne Gretkzys goal record. Yeah, right away. See ya! Ovechkin said as he saluted the camera.

ESPN recently made more of the ridiculous interview available on YouTube. There we learned of Alex Ovechkins frustration with diets.

During the 2018 postseason, Ovechkins legendary and borderline inspiring appetite was made public by Brooks Orpik in a Players Tribute article. Orpik explained that The Great 8 had chicken parm from Mamma Lucia before every game. Its the kind of thing you want to take a five-hour nap after eating, he said.

Ovechkin talked more about his eating habits with Cohn.

Cohn pointed out to Ovechkin that hes one of the top players in the NHL despite his age. She pointed out that Tom Brady of the NFL and LeBron James of the NBA changed certain things from either the way they played to the way they ate or trained to stay relevant.

Yeah, of course, Ive done last couple of years I change my training, Ovechkin said before adding, I dont change my diet. He laughed.

In September, Ovechkin revealed during an NHL Media Day interview that he did less weightlifting and more cardiovascular training, but created a stir when he said his weight remained the same: 260 pounds.

Cohn then asked Ovi Whats your favorite food?

Everything I can eat, Ovechkin said. You can ask John, I eat everything.

Carlson responded that Ovi loved Mamma Lucias chicken parm.

Chicken parm, yeah. I just eat it pregame. Pizza, he said. Im not a big fan of stay on diets. I try to diet once, didnt work well. I just didnt lose weight. I said you know what, forget about it. Im just going to do my thing.

Ovechkin also spoke about the Capitals Stanley Cup celebration in 2018.

I think we make one mistake out there, Ovechkin said. In Georgetown, we didnt bring any cameras. That was probably the highlight of our celebration I think. Everybody was together, fans, team, and we just have so much fun. It seems like basically you can do whatever you want and nobody would care. But I think yeah, I hope we gonna get not only one Cup but, hope so, get a couple Cups, but the celebration is gonna be much much bigger because we knew how to do it. Its gonna be planned right away.

He also had a cute exchange when John Carson revealed that Connor McDavid is the toughest player in the NHL to defend.

I think hes probably at the top of everyones list in terms of when we do our meetings no matter if youre a forward or a defenseman or goalie, you always need to be aware of where he is and hes a guy that can strike from anywhere and very fast.

Cohn added that over the years speed is now king with the MacKinnons and McDavids. She told Ovi youre not really a north-south guy.

I was like them. Not anymore, Ovechkin deadpanned.

Cohn asked when it went away.

Ovechkin turned to Carlson, Tell me.

Carlson began sheepishly laughing. I dont know. Youre still north-south. You can still fly.

I can still fly when its playoffs time, Ovechkin responded.

Link:
Alex Ovechkin tried to diet once, but 'I didn't lose weight' - Russian Machine Never Breaks

Moonlynn Tsai and her fish at the Essex Market. Photo: Christian Rodriguez

This has been a really good year for Kopitiam, Kyo Pang and Moonlynn Tsais Malasyian-Chinese restaurant thats a favorite of Chinatown crowds and critics alike. It nabbed a critics pick from the New York Times Pete Wells, who calls the food almost unfailingly terrific; a spot on Bon Apptits list of this years best new restaurants; and a James Beard semifinalist nod for chef Pang. Tsai moved to New York specifically to partner with Pang, and she has carved out a space for herself in the short time shes lived here: almost daily visits to the Essex Market, getting her natto fix with NYrture New York Natto, and finding a regular easy-dinner spot in Wus Wonton King. Read all about it in this weeks Grub Street Diet.

Friday, December 13Had both of my legs in stirrups in the OB-GYN office for my yearly Pap when my phone started buzzing and I got the call: The Department of Health was at Kopitiam examining every nook and cranny for over two and a half hours, which is more often than not with the goal of finding anything to dock points for. Happy Friday the 13th!

Stressed and hangry, even though it was only 11 a.m., I decided to catch the LIRR to have a Long Island workday with my girlfriend, Yin.

I dont believe in work-life balance, but I believe in a healthy work-life integration. Being in an industry that is on all the time, with no downtime, its important to do little things to keep my mental health in check. You could most definitely say traveling has always been my happy place. In more recent years, my girlfriend and I backpacked around Southeast Asia for three months and made the cross-country road-trip move from California to New York to get ready for Kopitiam. The #startuplife usually doesnt allow for weeks-long vacay, so getting creative in discovering my day-to-day happy place is imperative to keep the fire burning long-term even if it means working in a different part of town or heading out of the city for a few hours or taking a quick break at my new favorite neighborhood bakery, Party Bus Bakeshop.

Yin picked me up. When we got to her family home, we split lunch duties with her younger sister, Melora, and her boyfriend, Coco. We cooked:

1. Pomegranate mixed-greens salad2. Roasted broccoli with garlic3. Watercress-garlic chicken soup4. Roasted chicken with lemon, onions, and garlic

My other equally happy place is the kitchen. I love to cook and used to organize dinner-party pop-ups in my L.A. home. Because of how small our apartment is here, its difficult to host, but cooking with friends and family reminds me of those days.

Melora, knowing we were all hitting a lull around 5 p.m., pulled us shots of espresso on her Bialetti before I headed back to the city to make it in time for the dinner rush.

When I got home, I could smell braised soup. Growing up in an unstable household with a mentally and physically abusive father, I found what brought me comfort was my moms cooking, like her braised-oxtail soup. So when I opened the door and saw my mom, who was visiting from out of town, with a pot of the Meat Hooks oxtail braising in star anise, ginger, and soy (YESSSS), all the stresses of the day melted away.

Saturday, December 14Woke up before my 7:00 a.m. alarm clock and lay in bed scrolling through Kopitiams Instagram. We made a conscious decision not to hire a social-media manager or have a PR team, so I allocate two-to-three hours each day to catch up on Yelp, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Reading Yelp reviews is like reading the news. You should to stay current, but sometimes its better to just skip it. This morning, I woke up reading a review from a guest complaining about our prices. Im always mind-boggled by this; the majority of our dishes are $5 to $10 with only five items exceeding that, topping out at $13.50.

I got up, pressed boil on my Cuisinart kettle, a gift from Melora that weve had for about four years. Since I was having brunch with Mom later at Golden Diner, breakfast consisted of vitamins and a cup of warm water with apple-cider vinegar from the Pineapple Collaborative, a food company focused on women-created pantry staples.

On weekends, I like to keep errands local so I can be at the shop for the rushes.

Mom met me at Kopitiam, and we walked over to Golden Diner together, thinking we would beat the line if we got there before opening. Wrong! It was already at least 15 deep, but we made it in! Saw Sam Yoo on the line and slapped a high five. I love this diner the vibrant, bright dcor, the homage to what the Lower East Side once was. The playlist in itself is magic: I caught bits of Ali Baba, by Louie Ramirez, and J.D. Natashas Plastico!

By the time the food arrived, I had already drunk three cups of coffee, black (with unlimited refills in true diner fashion). Yogurt and homemade granola came out first, followed by an entourage of matzo-ball soup (we both popped our matzo cherry!), Chinatown egg-and-cheese sando, and the fluffiest honey-butter pancakes with berries. Golden Diner NAILED IT.

Five pounds heavier, I went back to Kopitiam to get some work done before the lunch rush. After, I swung by 886 and picked up a bottle of Sze Daddy chili sauce from my friend, the chef and co-owner, Eric. I cant wait to use it for a chili-oil braised chicken Im making later this week Ive never made it before.

My 1:30 meeting in Soho dragged till 3:30, and I was starving and craving a shish kebab and rice. I remembered passing by a Mamouns on my way. Ive only been to the one in the East Village and loooove its shish-kebab plate. We braved the throngs of drunken Santas in line, but unfortunately what we ended up getting was a plate of wet, chopped lettuce with diced tomatoes topped with dry, tough lamb. Noted: Will stick to Mamouns in the East Village.

Mom had to use the restroom before she headed off to Brooklyn but didnt want to walk up three flights of stairs at my apartment (bad knees), so we went to Essex Market, which has nice (clean) bathrooms downstairs. Saw Nigel at the Hello Moon Man stand, and he gave us both a tasting of his newest dessert: cassava coconut jelly with shaved coconut and rose petals. Around the corner, Four Sigmatic was offering free cups of its products, and we each opted for a Shroom coffee. Shroom coffee + cassava jelly = a match I never knew I needed in my life.

Simi and Paul of Adirondack Creamery ice creams came over to Kopitiam with five pints for our team holiday party. Yin first discovered them and surprised me with a pint of their Whiteface Mint Chip. The rest was history.

Got home and ate the other half of my breakfast egg-and-cheese sando from Golden Diner, cut a pomelo, and snacked on boiled Italian chestnuts from Trader Joes.

Caught up on work and remembered Jenny from Fly by Jing mentioning when I saw her at the Pineapple Collective product launch that she did an ice-cream pop-up with OddFellows where they put their chili crisp on top of ice cream. Hmm. I had thefive pints in my freezer, so I scooped a bit of each flavor and topped it off with crisps. It was a tie between the Syrian Walnut and Vanilla! Epic solo Saturday night.

Sunday, December 151:00 a.m., couldnt sleep, browsing the Insta. Saw that a popular Peruvian restaurant had just opened up for brunch. Booked a reservation with Mom.

Was up all night running through the logistics of multiple events, the big one being the team holiday dinner on Wednesday that Im cooking for. The majority of the Kopitiam team didnt get to grow up celebrating Christmas, and I wanted to share the joy and memories from those experiences with them.

Christmas was one of my favorite holidays growing up, even though I wasnt raised Christian (though maybe I absorbed the Christmas spirit during my time at Catholic school!). As I got older and into my early 20s and realized my family didnt have the kind of healthy, warm dynamic I craved, Id celebrate the holidays with 20 or so of my friends instead at a Lake Arrowhead cabin. There was a 16-pound rib-eye and all the fixings one year and endless amounts of alcohol; we had a keg set up out in the snow for those brave enough to go outside. But my body cant keep up with that anymore. Now its all about how to have the most sleep and quality time with loved ones.

Started the day early, drank water with apple-cider vinegar, and made a bowl of granola, pomegranate, chia, a spoonful of nut butter, and Meyenberg goat milk. Had some extra time, so I sat and meditated for a bit with a cup of green tea Yin got from Sunrise Mart.

Were tea fiends. Three years ago, after I left Pine & Crane, I was getting really into the study of oolong teas and took a weeklong, intensive tea class in Taiwan. We went to different tea-making regions (my favorite being Sun Moon Lake) and learned the process of tea-making. I have so much admiration for tea-makers; its at least a 20-hour process per batch. The first batch I tried to make from scratch I was up 16 hours and couldnt stay awake for the remaining ones, so the tea farmers ended up finishing the process for me.

Was really excited for brunch with Mom. I usually prefer cooking at home to going out and very rarely, if ever, eat at higher-end restaurants anymore. The magic that used to engulf me when I was younger doesnt leave me with that fulfillment after being in the industry so long. When I do go out, its usually to go and support friends or local mom-and-pop shops, when I have friends or family visiting, or to welcome new neighborhood shops. That start-up life can get lonely! I always look forward to making new friends. The last fine dining I really enjoyed was at Haenyeo the way Jenny Kwak infuses her story into each dish with flawless execution, the teams outstanding service, the whole experience there was magical. All that to say how excited I was for brunch with Mom.

Arrived at the brunch spot

An hour later, I thought Id have a lot to write about. But brunch ended up being $80 for two apps and a rice bowl (no drinks), and lets just say there were a lot of probllamas, pun intended.

Did some touristy things afterward: walked up to Grand Central Station, checked out the NYPL (nipple!), and attempted to wander around the Bryant Park holiday pop-up shops, but there were way too many people. Decided to slowly walk back to the LES.

Got tired and found ourselves in K-Town craving something soupy, settled on Cho Dang Gol. We skipped the homemade tofu theyre known for and opted for the the bulgogi stew and mini bossam. Our dishes were so comforting, and the Korean grandmas working there made it feel like home and a welcome break from the cold.

Didnt get enough veggies in. To counter that, I made a salad from baby arugula and rainbow-chard leaves I bought at Project EATS. Foraging and farms are my jam! When I lived in L.A., I would frequently take foraging classes in the mountains with author and master forager Pascal Baudar.

Monday, December 16Woke up feeling a bit under the weather. Ate a comforting breakfast of avocado and purple rice with NYrture NY natto Id picked up when I visited my friend Danny at Osakana in Williamsburg. I love that slimy goodness paired with a cup of green tea.

Set up shop, finished payroll at my favorite table by 9:30 a.m., overheard two guests chatting at the table next to me about how much they loved the kaya jam. I wrapped up paperwork and went over to chat with them and found out they were visiting from Vancouver. I get an absolute high when I meet genuinely kind and nice people at our shop and gifted them a bottle of our homemade kaya jam to bring back home to add to their good memories from this trip.

Feeling productive!

Got to Essex Market, where I go almost every day for seafood ingredients. One of my private cheffing clients is a pescatarian, so this is my reliable go-to spot for fresh fish. Picked a vibrant red snapper, rinsed and ungutted, from New Star. It started snowing. Being born and raised in San Diego, Im still amazed by how beautiful snow is and will never get over how snowflakes look like fluffy little clouds.

Came home and seasoned the red snapper, drizzled olive oil over chopped rainbow chard and broccoli, then placed everything on my baking tray and set the oven to 375 for 20 minutes. One of my favorite easy-peasy, 20-minute lunches. Made a ponzu sauce rendition to dip. (Mine was just yuzu and tamari a couple of years ago, I developed an allergy to gluten, and I try my best to avoid it when I can.)

I dont usually nap; I get really gnarly headaches most of the time, but today I couldnt focus on any work and forced one in. Woke up feeling a bit better. Got ready for the Last Supper Club pop-up that Chula Galvez was cheffing over at Abigails Kitchen in Greenwich Village. If youve never had any of Chulas food, youve got to get on that ASAP. Its as delicious as it is beautiful.

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More here:
Kopitiams Moonlynn Tsai Knows Where to Get the Good Natto - Grub Street

AUSTIN, Texas A mothers obesity in pregnancy can affect her childs development years down the road, according to researchers who found impaired motor skills in preschoolers and lower IQ in middle childhood for boys whose mothers were severely overweight while expecting them. A team of nutrition and environmental health researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Columbia University found that the differences are comparable to the impact of lead exposure in early childhood.

The team studied 368 mothers and their children, all from similar economic circumstances and neighborhoods, during pregnancy and when the children were 3 and 7 years of age. At age 3, the researchers measured the childrens motor skills and found that maternal obesity during pregnancy was strongly associated with lower motor skills in boys. At age 7, they again measured the children and found that the boys whose mothers were overweight or obese in pregnancy had scores 5 or more points lower on full-scale IQ tests, compared with boys whose mothers had been at a normal weight.

No effect was found in the girls.

Whats striking is, even using different age-appropriate developmental assessments, we found these associations in both early and middle childhood, meaning these effects persist over time, said Elizabeth Widen, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at UT Austin. These findings arent meant to shame or scare anyone. We are just beginning to understand some of these interactions between mothers weight and the health of their babies.

It isnt clear why obesity in pregnancy would affect a child later, though previous research has found links between a mothers diet and cognitive development, such as higher IQ scores in kids whose mothers have more of certain fatty acids found in fish. Widen said that dietary and behavioral differences may be driving factors, or fetal development may be affected by some of the things that tend to happen in the bodies of people with too much extra weight, such as inflammation, metabolic stress, hormonal disruptions and high amounts of insulin and glucose.

The researchers controlled for several factors in their analysis, including race and ethnicity, marital status, the mothers education and IQ, as well as whether the children were born prematurely or exposed to environmental irritants such as air pollution. What the pregnant mothers ate or whether they breastfed were not included in the analysis.

The team also examined and accounted for the nurturing environment in a childs home in early childhood, looking at how parents interacted with their children and whether the child was provided with books and toys. A nurturing home environment was found to lessen the negative effects of obesity.

The effect on IQ was smaller in nurturing home environments, but it was still there, Widen said.

This is not the first study to find that boys appear to be more vulnerable in utero. A 2018 study found lower performance IQ in boys, but not girls, whose mothers were exposed to lead, and a 2019 study suggested boys whose moms had fluoride in pregnancy scored lower on an IQ assessment.

Because childhood IQ is a predictor of education level, socioeconomic status and professional success later in life, the researchers said there is potential for effects to last into adulthood.

Widen advised women who are obese or overweight when they become pregnant to eat a well-balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, take a prenatal vitamin, stay active and make sure to get enough fatty acids such as the kind found in fish oil. Giving children a nurturing home environment also matters, as does seeing a doctor regularly, including during pregnancy to discuss weight gain.

Work with your doctor and talk about what is appropriate for your circumstances, Widen said.

The families involved in the research were participating in theurban birth cohort studyin New York City led by theColumbia Center for Childrens Environmental Health. The study on IQ at age 7 was published today in BMC Pediatrics with co-authors Amy Nichols and Sara Dube of UT Austin; Linda Kahn of New York University; and Pam Factor-Litvak, Beverly Insel, Lori Hoepner, Virginia Rauh, Frederica Perera and Andrew Rundle of Columbia University. The same team, absent Dube and Kahn, were involved in a paper about the children at age 3, published in September in the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease.

Funding support for the research was provided by the Thrasher Research Fund, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Irving General Clinical Research Center, the Educational Foundation of America, the Neu Family Foundation, the New York Community Trust and the Trustees of the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund. Widen holds the Amy Johnson McLaughlin Administrative Chair in Human Ecology at The University of Texas at Austin.

Link:
Obesity in Pregnant Moms Linked to Lag in Their Sons' Development and IQ - UT News | The University of Texas at Austin