We have known for a long time that fast food products are not healthy and should not be given to children. It is not only about the development and growth of young organisms, but also about shaping good habits and reducing the risk of obesity or diabetes later. Recent reports indicate that junk food may also contribute to the development of food allergy. To find out how, I encourage you to read today’s text.
Zdrowocki gummies – owocki? Definitely! But is it so healthy… MINI-RANKING
Without a decade of milk, but with fat
Where did this information come from
Information on a possible relationship between junk food and food allergies among children who ate such products appeared at this year’s conference of the European Society of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition for Children ESPGHAN (5-8 June 2019, Glasgow, Scotland). They were presented by scientists from the Italian University of Naples. Their study involved 61 children aged 6 to 12, who were divided into three groups: the group with food allergy, the group with respiratory allergy and the group of healthy children (the so-called control group). Tests revealed that the consumption of junk food correlated with the appearance of higher subcutaneous concentrations of the end products of increased glycation, AGEs. Moreover, in children with food allergies, the concentration of these products was also higher than in toddlers suffering from respiratory allergies or among healthy children. In addition, the research team was able to find convincing evidence on the mechanism of action of AGEs in the development of food allergies.
What are AGEs?
At this point, you may ask: Okay, but what does it actually mean and what are the end products of increased glycation? Of course, the term is highly specialized and not everyone will immediately understand its meaning. However, I will try to explain it as simply as possible.
AGEs are formed as a result of glycation, i.e. a multi-stage reaction taking place in living organisms. The collection of its products can contribute to the emergence of many diseases and have a negative impact on the body. It should be noted that glycation itself is a process that occurs naturally with the aging of the body. The problem, however, is its severity, which affects the accumulation of AGE, e.g. in the lumen of blood vessels and organ walls. One of the best-known AGEs is a substance whose abbreviated name is CML, the presence of which may be associated with the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or diabetic nephro- and neuropathies (i.e. complications of diabetes in the kidneys and nervous system).
The diseases whose risk increases when an excess of AGE appears in our body may be accompanied by the aforementioned food allergies in children. It should also be noted that research on these substances is ongoing and it may of course turn out that AGEs also increase the risk of other pathological conditions.
In the eyes of experts
Lead researcher Roberto Berni Canani commented on his team’s results:
The existing hypotheses and models of food allergy development have not been able to fully explain the dramatic increase in the incidence observed in recent years. AGEs may therefore turn out to be the missing link. This is a hypothesis that our research supports, and further tests will now be needed to confirm this. If documented, the link would be another argument for governments to strengthen public health efforts to restrict children’s junk food consumption.
Hopefully, researchers from Naples will be able to establish as soon as possible how strong the relationship is between higher AGE levels and the increased incidence of food allergies in children. Of course, as nutritionists, we will never recommend giving children this type of product. After these conference reports, we have an additional reason for this. Remember – fast food is not healthy, especially for kids!
Bibliography:
https://www.horecatrends.pl/trendy/119/smieciowe_j…
https://www.espghancongress.org/fileadmin/user_upl…
https://journals.viamedica.pl/clinical_diabetology…
https://biotechnologia.pl/biotechnologia/produkty-…
Photo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/food-dinner-lunch-unhealthy-70497/
- Comments
Nina Kaczmarek Dietician
Master of Nutrition and Public Health, academic lecturer, graduate of the Medical University in Poznań. It works according to the principles of evidence-based dietetics – it is based on current scientific knowledge and constantly educates itself at courses and conferences. Her main professional interests are the nutrition of children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as a vegetarian and vegan diet. Privately, he reads a lot and tries to live according to the zero waste principles. She also loves to check how many steps she took on a given day – 10.000 is just the beginning …
Other author’s entries