Nutrition

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Nutrition

Ask The Dietician

OUR EXPERT DIETICIAN ANSWERS TOUGH QUESTIONS
ON FOOD AND NUTRITION

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Q. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEARTBURN, ACID REFLUX AND GERD?

A: Heartburn is just another name for acid reflux. It refers to the burning sensation in the chest or throat when stomach acid comes up into the esophagus, the tube that carries food to the stomach.

At the top of the stomach is a ring of muscle called a sphincter that opens to allow food into the stomach and then closes to keep it from coming back up. When the sphincter doesn’t close properly, it allows some of the stomach contents, including the highly acidic digestive juices, to leak back up. Our stomach has a special lining to protect it from the acids in the digestive juices. But since the esophagus doesn’t, the acid causes an uncomfortable burning.

If you get heartburn twice a week or more, you may have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and should see a doctor. Long-term, frequent reflux of digestive acids can damage the esophagus, causing scar tissue to form. It can also lead to changes in the cells themselves that increase the risk of cancer development. Your doctor will be able to determine whether the symptoms you’re experiencing really are heartburn, rather than an ulcer, heart disease or other serious problems. If you have frequent heartburn with no medical explanation, it might signal an unhealthy lifestyle typified by overeating, drinking too much alcohol or maintaining an unhealthy weight.

Q. WHAT SIZE PORTION OF JUICE IS EQUIVALENT TO A SERVING OF FRUIT OR A VEGETABLE?

A: Six ounces of fruit or vegetable juice is considered one serving, provided it is 100 percent juice. It is important to note, however, that while juice can supply many of the vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals found in whole fruits and vegetables, it does not supply the fiber for complete nutrition found in solid fruit.

In addition, the calories in fruit juice can add up quickly and won’t pacify your hunger. Most recommendations suggest that we use fruit juice for no more than one serving a day. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages children to choose whole fruit and recommends limiting fruit juice to four to six ounces a day for children one to six years old. Be sure to choose carefully: a “juice cocktail” or “juice beverage” label means it is not 100 percent juice. Right above the Nutrition Facts panel you can find the exact percentage of juice in the product clearly stated.

Contributing editor Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN, is a dietician with the American Institute for Cancer Research. For more information, visit AICR.org.

KIDS CORNER

kidscrnr Researchers indicate that toddlers who watch too much TV are likely to struggle in school later and may be more susceptible to bullying than other children.

The study, reported in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, reveals that children who watched more TV at age two weighed more by the time they were 10 and ate more junk food. Researchers say every additional weekly hour of television at 29 months of age corresponded to a seven percent drop in classroom attention and a six percent drop in math skills.

The study, which examined more than 2,000 children, indicates that an hour more of TV watching a week as a toddler meant a child was 10 percent more likely to be bullied, exercised 13 percent less, weighed five percent more and ate 10 percent more snacks. The findings also point to a lack of development of social skills in kids who spend more time watching TV than playing with other kids.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the study reveals that despite the organization’s clear age-specific recommendations that discourage screen exposure during infancy and less than two hours per day beyond two years of age, many parents show poor awareness of such guidelines.

EATING SMART

Participants in a 2008 study who said they were most likely to eat in response to their emotions were over 13 times more likely to be overweight or obese than those who reported the least emotional eating. Source: Journal of American Dietetic Association.