The Importance of Iron for Children's Nutrition

Why is iron so important? A major function of iron is the creation of both the hemoglobin protein, responsible for carrying oxygen to the body, and the myoglobin protein, responsible for storing oxygen in the muscles. When infants, children and teenagers grow and mature, they need iron in order for the process to occur properly. Iron is a component of many enzymes in the body and is also key in the development of the brain, vital in the first 2 years of life.

Vegetarian and Vegan Diet – Is it Good for Children?

Vegetarian diet (based on avoiding meat) has long been fashionable among many people in the world, and veganism (avoiding any kind of animal product, including dairy products) enjoys a quick growth rate in recent years. Parents who support either way of life sometimes aspire to bring up their children in the same fashion, and both vegetarian diet and veganism often become trendy among teenagers. Questions regarding the nutritional implications for vegetarian and vegan children often come up, and this article attempts to address some of them.

Where Children Eat Like Adults: The Secret of French Children's Nutrition

For many years, people have regarded French eating habits as an enigma – a country where people can devote a lot of time of thought to eating without gaining significant weight. However, in recent years, France has started struggling with obesity and overweight, especially among children, much like other western countries. The popularity of fast-food is constantly on the rise, and child obesity has grown by 17 percent each year.

Online Help for Eating Healthy: The Top Healthy Recipes Websites for Children

Convincing children to eat healthy can be a difficult task: children prefer the instant sweetness or salty taste that often accompanies unhealthy fast-food or candy. Preparing food at home is a highly recommended alternative to eating outside at a restaurant or at fast-food stall, but it still leaves the challenge of preparing food that is both tasty and healthy for children. Several websites offer excellent healthy recipes for kids meals, and in this article we share with you some of our favorites.

Shkuiko – The Japanese Way of Teaching Healthy Nutrition from an Early Age

Japan is often referred to as a country that should serve as example for teaching healthy eating habits, especially to children. To attempt to understand the basic principles that have been guiding the Japanese nutritional philosophy, one has to be familiar with a key term – "Shokuiko". Literally translated as "Health Education", this term emphasizes the need to educate people to eat properly healthy food.

Snacking: How to Deal with Children's Unhealthy Eating Habits

It seems that over-consumption of snacks has never skipped a generation: people who were scolded as children on the subject find themselves fighting their own children over bad eating habits. The problem has grown worse for today's children, however, as researches indicate that the current daily consumption of snacks by children averages on three snacks (totaling about 200 calories), as opposed to a daily average of only one snack among children in the late 1970.

Omega-3: Why it's Important and How it Improves Children's Achievements

Omega-3 is the collective name of three fatty acids that are highly important for the healthy function of the human body. One of these acids is found in plant oils (ALA) while two others are found in fish oils (EPA and DHA). The Omega-3 fatty acids contribute greatly to our health: they reduce the risk of several types of heart diseases and cancer, and also have an anti-depression effect.

Back to School: what are they going to eat?

A new school year is about to start, and the question of what children are going to eat during their school day again becomes a hot issue. Recent studies have shown what should have been long dictated by common sense alone – that children who get better nutrition also perform better in class and get better grades.

Nutrition Journal praises Israeli food companies for innovative products

An editor from the U.S. based Nutrition Business Journal recently visited Israel to learn more about Israeli food and nutrition companies looking to expand their businesses into the United States and Europe. Admittedly coming with “few expectations”, what he saw during his visit impressed him.

Anlit's probiotic supplement to be sold in Croatia under Milsing's brand

Milsing, a leading Croatian provider of health food and dietary supplements, will begin distributing in Croatia a new probiotic supplement for kids developed by Anlit Advanced Nutrition Supplements.

25% of kids suffer from insufficient Vitamin D levels

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released a new report claiming that 25 percent of American children between the ages of 1 and 11 are Vitamin D deficient.

Once thought of as the “sun” vitamin, today’s kids are getting far less Vitamin D from natural sunlight than in the past as concerns about the danger of sun exposure have grown. Most doctors recommend that children spend no longer than 15 minutes in the sun today without some sort of protection. Although these recommendations will hopefully keep our kids safe from the ultra violet rays that cause skin cancer - they are negatively impacting their Vitamin D intake.

In recent years, a slew of studies has shown that Vitamin D is important to our immune system, can help in the prevention of childhood diabetes and cancer and has been linked to preventing stress fractures in adolescents. Even without using the sun as a primary source, Vitamin D is found in a number of foods including fortified milk and cheese products, tuna, salmon, eggs and fortified orange juices and cereals.

According to Andrew Calabria, M.D., pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, however, certain higher risk children will require additional supplementation. Those at greater risk for Vitamin D Deficiency include dark-skinned children, overweight children, and exclusively breastfed infants.

Given how easy it is to intake Vitamin D today, it is both alarming and unnecessary for a full 25% of young American kids to be deficient. Hopefully as parents become more aware of the vitamin’s importance and the various options for consuming it, we can keep our kids healthy! 

Anlit teams with Axellus to launch lactose free probiotic to improve immune health of lactose intolerance children

Anlit Advanced Nutrition Supplements will add a probiotics lactose free supplement for the whole family to the line of food supplements offered in the Finnish market by Axellus Oy, a leading marketer of health supplements in Finland and part of the Nordic region’s market leader Axellus Group.

The new chewable probiotic lactose-free supplement was developed especially for the Finnish market. It will be sold in Finland under the brand name Sana-sol, which is targeted for family use.

“Lactic acid bacteria which you can eat without water is very useful for Finns when we go to the summer cottages by the lakes in summer time or when travelling abroad and defending the body against the new kind of bacteria,” said Axellus Oy’s managing director Kari Haapakorva.

The new supplement was developed by Anlit to meet the growing demand for products for those who suffer from lactose intolerance, representing some 20 percent of Finland’s population. The Finish market for probiotic products is estimated at some 20 million euro annually.

“Axellus presented us with the need to come up with lactose-free probiotic for those who suffer from lactose intolerance,” said Shai Karlinski, VP marketing at Anlit. “This is a great opportunity for us to further expand our successful partnership with Axellus and strengthen our offerings in the rapidly developing Finnish market.”

The chewable dairy free probiotic supplement promotes healthy intestinal microflora, thereby improving overall intestinal and immune health. It is delivered in white chocolate-flavored blister-pack cubes.

Ocean Nutrition presents Anlit's omega 3 chewable fishes at FI Europe 2011 in Paris

Ocean Nutrition, a leading producer of fish oil omega 3, has presented at the Food Ingredients (FI) Europe Conference 2011 in Paris a new series of omega 3 chewable fishes for kids, developed by Anlit Advanced Nutritional Supplements.

During the conference, which took place from 29 November to1 December, Ocean Nutrition showcased the Omega 3 DHA + EPA Fishes, which are free of preservatives, gluten and trans and are packaged safely in individually sealed blisters to ensure prolonged stability. This product is the result of collaboration between Anlit and Ocean Nutrition based on Anlit's proprietary blister bear and Ocean Nutrition's omega 3 oil.

Over the three days, the FI show featured 1,200 exhibitors from 65 countries. More than 23,600 food professionals from 127 countries visited the show, making it the most attended FI exhibition to date.

Ocean Nutrition is the world’s largest Omega 3 EPA/DHA solutions provider with a pioneering approach to wellness through innovation. Headquartered in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, the company has created the leading Research & Development platform in the industry and operates the largest privately-owned marine research and development facility in North America. 

Anlit partner with Polish company Polpharma to market vitamins for kids

Anlit's new all-natural vitamins for babies and toddlers will soon join Poland's growing market for children's dietary supplements.

Polish company Polpharma will exclusively market the children's vitamins and they will be available at pharmacies throughout Poland, according to a recently signed agreement. The vitamins, which taste good, will join Polpharma's Acidolac line of supplements for babies.

Anlit has confidence that Polpharma, through its Medana subsidiary, will successfully market and sell the vitamins, which contain no artificial flavors or colors. Polpharma's Medana unit specializes in marketing and selling vitamins and other natural supplements.

“We are convinced that Polpharma, with the firm reputation it built over the decades and its very strong presence in the dietary supplements market, offers added-value products and services," says Shai Karlinski, vice president of marketing for Anlit. "This is an important parameter in choosing a partner to market our products."

Polpharma is also excited about the marketing agreement and sees it bringing new opportunities.

“The Anlit supplement line for children presents an innovative concept in combining great taste with wellness benefits,” says Krzysztof Jakubiak, director of public relations at Polpharma. "It complements our Acidolac line for babies and enables us to target the children market as well.”

In addition to being marketed by an established supplement company, Anlit's children's line will enter an expanding market for supplements. Poland's market for supplements is growing between 12% and 15% a year, despite the economic downturn, according to a study by PMR Publications. 

The vitamins are certified kosher and do not contain preservatives.