The importance of good nutrition and iodine levels in the development of children
There have been a number of news stories recently linking poor behaviour in schools, nutrition and antisocial behaviour.
It serves again as a reminder of the importance of a small amount of micronutrient dense, nutritious seaweed in the diet for all and particularly children.
An increasing acknowledgement of the role of nutrition in brain development and children’s nutrition have made recent headlines. Joe Wicks linked the role of nutrition in children with ADHD to poor diet, high sugar and ultra-high processed foods. “I do believe food has a massive impact. Whether you have ADHD or not, I think it really impacts our mood and our ability to sit still and focus, and even our energy and our mental health, it has a massive impact.”.
In the last National Dietary Survey, deficient intakes of iron, zinc and Vitamin A were found for one in ten children in the UK on average and a further article by Dr Alex Richardson in The Journal of Family Healthcare explored this including impact of iodine deficiency: “Many commentators on the recent UK riots used the words “cretins” or “cretinous” to describe the people involved and their behaviour. Cretinism actually refers to the serious mental and physical retardation produced by iodine deficiency.
The problem of iodine insufficiency and ultra-high processed diets
Iodine insufficiency and ultra-high processed diets are a growing problem affecting children in the UK and Western Europe. As a result, seaweed produced for human nutrition is increasingly acknowledged as part of the solution. Ultra-high processed, high salt, sugar, and fat content foods are becoming the staple diet, particularly of children.
As a result, impact is seen on memory, mood, and cognition. Research shows nutritional gaps can affect children’s learning, their health, and long-term predisposition to obesity (Miller & Spencer: Brain, Behaviour & Immunity, 2014), while trials on a high fat diet showed concentration and speed of recall deteriorated (Holloway, et al.: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2011).
Sufficient daily iodine intake is especially important in young women, during pregnancy, and in children, as iodine is crucial for foetal and child brain development (Bath, et al.: The Lancet, 2013). In the UK, insufficient levels of dietary iodine were found in 66% of adult women and over 75% of 14-year-old girls (Vanderpump, et al.: The Lancet, 2011).
For all these reasons, children, as well as adults, will benefit from small amounts of quality seaweed in their daily diet.
It starts right at the beginning, but it's never too late
Even mild iodine deficiencies during pregnancy can knock several points off the IQs of the resulting children.
A recent study of pregnant mothers from Surrey found that all of them were iodine-deficient according to W.H.O. criteria.
The problem of diets not meeting healthy nutritional needs is not restricted to children, it is a concern for young adults too with the impacts of the poor diets continuing into adulthood. This is explored in a recent report entitled Dietary Status of Teens and Young Adults in Micronutrient Crisis on the Health and Food Supplements Information Service which concludes:
"Significant proportions of 11-18-year olds have intakes below the Lower Recommended Nutritional Intake for all 11 vitamins and minerals evaluated in the NDNS. But intakes in adults over 19 are not without concern. Girls and women fare worse than boys and men across the board.
• More than half of girls have intakes of iron and magnesium below the LRNI.
• Almost half have intakes of selenium below the LRNI whilst four out of ten have a potassium intake below the LRNI.
• Around a quarter to a third have below LRNI intakes of vitamin A, riboflavin, iodine and zinc whilst over one fifth have similarly worrying intakes of calcium."
What's in it
Seagreens Capsules for Children contain pure finely milled Seagreens® native wild seaweeds Fucus vesiculosus, Ascophyllum nodosum, Palmaria palmata and Alaria esculenta whose composition and health benefits Seagreens has studied and documented for over two decades. Vegetable capsules. Nothing added or extracted. Non-allergenic.
What it does
Iodine contributes to the normal production of thyroid hormones, normal thyroid function, nervous system and cognitive function, the normal growth of childrn, normal energy-yielding metabolism, and the maintenance of normal skin. Plus each capsule contains natural vitamins such as B9 and B12, minerals such as magnesium, selenium and zinc - all the other nutrients the body needs for the effective transport and metabolism of iodine - and contributes a small balance of micronutrients to a normal daily diet. Independent thyroid iodine research on Seagreens® Ascophyllum was published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2014.
How to use
For sufficiency in iodine, wherever there is a known deficiency, one capsule each morning (400mg or 0.014oz). For children who can't (or won't!) take capsules, the capsule may be emptied onto any food or cold drink, simply by pulling apart. Iodine Lite+ has been developed specifically for children, or to 'top up' daily iodine intake. For a higher intake use Iodine+ Capsules. All Seagreens® nutrition products contain varying levels of natural iodine. The uptake of iodine in the body* has been shown to be approximately 1/3rd of intake, illustrated in the following table. Safe in permanent daily use for all ages.
Provenance
British Isles and Nordic region. The best seaweed species are found in different locations. Seagreens has developed 5 food certified remote harvesting locations and production facilities in England, Iceland, Ireland, Norway and Scotland.
Nutritional Profile - Seagreens® Capsules for Children
Seagreens Capsules for Children (1 x 400mg capsule) provides:
Amino acids:
Alanine 0.61 mg, Arginine 0.15 mg, Asparagine 0.20 mg, Aspartic acid 0.19 mg, Cystine and Cysteine* 0.17 mg, Cystathionine 0.20 mg, Glutamic acid 0.92 mg, Glutamine 0.34 mg, Glycine 0.16 mg, Histidine 0.14 mg, Homocysteine 0.2 mg, Hydroxyproline 0.2 mg, Isoleucine 0.15 mg, Leucine 0.17 mg, Lysine 0.16 mg, Methionine 0.17 mg, 1- Methylhistidine 0.2 mg, 3-Methylhistidine 0.2 mg, Ornithine 0.25 mg, Phenylalanine 0.19 mg,, Phosphoserene 1.83 mg, Proline 1.47 mg, Sarcosine 0.2 mg, Serine 0.16 mg, Taurine 0.2 mg, Threonine 0.17 mg, Tryptophan 0.17 mg, Tyrosine 0.15 g, Valine 0.16 mg. *Cysteine is a non-essential methionine amino acid derivative formed in collaboration with vitamins B6 and B12 whereas cystine, a compound formed when two amino acids form a disulfide bond, is a more stable semi-essential amino acid. Both are important in protein synthesis, detoxification and metabolism and cystine is a substrate for the cystine-glutamate cell transport by which it is readily broken down to cysteine in the cell. Normal human hair and skin contains 10-14% cystine.
Antioxidant capacity - principal antioxidant nutrients:
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) 122.74 µg, Calcium 2,620 µg, Copper 1.36 µg, Magnesium 2,046 µg,, Manganese (part of the antioxidant enzyme Superoxide dismutase) 129.24 µg, Polyphenols (gallic acid equivalent) 5,081.46 µg, Polyphenols (tannins) 6,064.2 µg, Potassium 27,070 µg, Selenium 0.12 µg, Vitamin A (carotenoid precursors) 0.95 µg, Vitamin C 30.66 µg, Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 9.79 µg, Zinc 9.94 µg.
Betaines:
Glycine Betaine trace, Gamma Amino Butyric Acid Betaine trace, Delta Amino Valeric Acid Betaine trace, TML (Laminine) trace, L-Carnitine trace, Trigonelline trace.
Carbohydrates:
185.88 mg of which total dietary fibre is 163.77 mg including non-starch polysaccharides Algin, Fucose, Fucoidan, Mannitol, Methylpentosans, Laminarin, Mannuronic acid and Chlorophyll (antioxidant). Soluble fibre is approximately 20% of total dietary fibre, insoluble 80%.
Enzymes:
Lipase 7.38 units, Protease 65.83 units, Uronic acid 1.69 units.
Essential fatty acids:
Alpha amino-n-butyric acid 2.12 µg, Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) 122.74 µg, Beta aminoisobutyric acid 2.12 µg, Docosadienoic acid 5.07 µg, Docosapentaenoic (DPA) 5.96 µg, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 2.24 µg, Eicosapentenoic acid (EPA) 1,068.57 µg, EPA and DHA Omega-3 1,070.81 µg, Gamma amino-n-butyric acid 2.12 µg, Oleic acid 1,184.08 µg, Omega-3 1,306.43 µg, Omega-6 829 µg*, Omega 9 1,602.44 µg, Monounsaturated fatty acids 1,776 µg, Polyunsaturated fatty acids 2,136 µg, Saturated fatty acids 1868 µg, Trans fatty acids (mono- and poly-unsaturates) 0.62 µg. *Omega 3:6 ratio 157.6%.
Minerals:
Calcium (antioxidant) 2.62 mg, Magnesium (antioxidant) 2.05 mg, Nitrogen 9.89 mg, Phosphorus 1.41 mg, Potassium (antioxidant) 27.07 mg, Sodium 22.87 mg, Sulphur 22.86 mg.
Polyphenols:
5,081.46 µg (gallic acid equivalent).
Protein:
61.37 mg.
Trace elements:
Antimony 0.01 µg, Barium 2.89 µg, Beryllium trace, Bismuth trace, Boron 75.03 µg, Bromine 49.12 µg, Cerium 0.24 µg, Caesium trace, Chromium 0.05 µg, Cobalt 0.06 µg, Copper 1.36 µg, Dysprosium 0.01 µg, Erbium 0.01 µg, Europium 3.44 µg, Flouride (acid soluble) 2.62 µg, Gadolinium 0.02 µg, Gallium 0.01 µg, Germanium trace, Gold 0.03 µg, Hafnium trace, Holmium trace, Iodine 150 µg*, Iridium trace, Iron 119.45 µg, Lanthanum 0.09 µg, Lithium 0.21 µg, Lutetium trace, Manganese 129.24 µg, Molybdenum 0.34 µg, Neodymium 0.07 µg, Nickel 0.11 µg, Niobium trace, Osmium trace, Palladium 0.01 µg, Platinum trace, Praeseodymium 0.02 µg, Rhenium 0.01 µg, Rubidium 13.65 µg, Ruthenium trace, Samarium 0.01 µg, Scandium 0.01 µg, Selenium 0.12 µg, Silicon** 76.66 µg, Silver 0.07 µg, Strontium 70.64 µg, Tantalum trace, Tellurium 0.01µg, Terbium trace, Thallium trace, Thorium trace, Thuliam trace, Tin trace, Titanium trace, Tungsten trace, Uranium trace, Vanadium 8.69 µg, Ytterbium 0.01 µg, Yttrium 0.07 µg, Zinc 9.94 µg, Zirconium 0.02 µg.
Vitamins:
A (carotenoids) 0.95 µg, B1 (thiamin) 0.19 µg, B2 (riboflavin) 0.25 µg, B3 (niacin or vitamin PP) 13.57 µg, B5 (pantothenic acid and calcium pantothenate) 0.002 µg, B6 (pyridoxine) 0.12 µg, B9 (folate) 1.43 µg, B12 (cobalamin) 0.06 µg, C 30.66 µg, E (alpha-tocopherol) with all the isomers of wheat germ 9.79 µg, D2 0.001 µg, D3 trace, H (biotin or vitamin B8) 0.07 µg, K (K3 phytomenadione, K1 phylloquinone, K2 menaquinone-4 and menaquinone-7) 0.69 µg.
Iodine levels in Seagreens® nutrition products
Uptake of iodine in the body has been shown to be approximately 1/3rd of intake. Figures are average iodine levels in micrograms over two decades harvesting Seagreens®. Iodine levels fluctuate according to natural variances in species and individual uptake.
Iodine levels in Seagreens® nutrition products| Product name | Intake (daily use or portion) | Uptake |
|---|
| Seagreens Capsules for Children x 1 (400g) | 150µg | 50µg |
Note: 1g (gram) = 1000mg (milligram) = 1,000,000µg (microgram)
Nutritional data reproduced by permission of the Copyright holder, Seagreens Ltd, Great Britain.