April 20, 2005 – Parents who eat a low-fat diet could unknowingly cause their children to lack vitamin E if they are fed the same type of diet.
Nutritionist Judy Driskell and her colleagues at the University of Nebraska made the discovery while conducting a study with 22 children aged two to five. They found that two-thirds of the children were deficient in vitamin E.
Parents had also provided researchers with their child’s dietary report for two consecutive days. Many parents, and therefore their children, consume low-fat or fat-free products, such as skim milk. According to her, this type of diet is probably associated with the low levels of vitamin E seen in children. Indeed, vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin mainly found in fatty foods, such as sunflower oil, canola oil and nuts.
These results do not surprise nutritionist Hélène Baribeau. To prevent vitamin E deficiency in children, she recommends that parents who follow a low-fat diet regularly include whole milk, peanut butter, nut butters and cereals in their children’s diets. whole grain enriched with vitamins. She also suggests offering children muffins and patties cooked with vegetable oils rather than butter or shortening.
In the long term, a vitamin E deficiency can compromise the quality of nerve conductions and thus cause neurological problems. Remember that the Canadian and American authorities recommend a daily intake of vitamin E of 6 mg for children from 1 year to 3 years old, and 7 mg for those from 4 to 8 years old.
Marie-Michèle Mantha – PasseportSanté.net
According to INRA News (University of Nebraska).