A recent study suggests eating a handful or two of nuts a week could cut back on the risk of blindness in elderly by about 35 percent. Researchers at the University of Sydney said foods that have a lot of omega-3 fatty acids can greatly reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, a common eye condition in the elderly that leads to blindness.

Like nuts, fish also carried a decreased risk of contracting ARMD. A weekly serving of fish cut back on the risk by 31 percent. Researchers believe the fatty acids build up a protective layer that defended against plaque build-up.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion revealed a new type of pyramid on its interactive Web site, (MyPyramid.gov) for preschoolers that may help parents deal with picky eating problems, especially as they are introduced to new kinds of foods.
Among the MyPyramid for Preschoolers tips to help parents deal with finicky eaters are:

• Set limits for the start and end of a meal. When you see your child is no longer interested in the meal, excuse the child from the table.

• Encourage your child to try new foods, but don’t lecture or force your child to eat.

• Talk about fun and happy things as part of an overall effort to make mealtimes stress-free.

• Cook together. Encourage preschoolers to help you prepare meals and snacks.

Obese have aged neck arteries
The neck arteries of obese children and teens look more like those of 45-year-olds, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting.
“There’s a saying that ‘you’reries,’ meaning that the state of your arteries is more important than your actual age in the evolution of heart disease and stroke,” Dr. Geetha Raghuveer noted in a written statement. “We found that the state of the arteries in these children is more typical of a 45-year-old than of someone their own age.”
In 70 children ages 6 to 19, Raghuveer of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., and colleagues used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the inner walls of the neck (carotid) arteries that supply blood to the brain.
Increasing carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) indicates the fatty buildup of plaque within arteries feeding the heart muscle and the brain, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
The investigators found that the children’s “vascular age” — the age at which the level of thickening would be normal for their gender and race — was about 30 years older than their actual age.
Further studies are needed to determine whether artery build-up will decrease if children lose weight, exercise or are treated for abnormal lipids.

Fruit juice: Is it good or bad?
Recent studies at the Mayo Clinic have confirmed that drinking moderate amounts of 100 percent fruit juice does not have an effect on children’s weight. However, fruit juice is high in calories, and — just like any other high-calorie food or drink — too much fruit juice can contribute to weight gain.
If you do give your children fruit juice, choose 100 percent fruit juice instead of sweetened juice or fruit-juice cocktail drinks. While 100 percent juice and sweetened fruit drinks may have about the same number of calories, your children will get more vitamins and nutrients from 100 percent juice.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following:

• Not giving fruit juice to infants less than 6 months old while infants ages 6 to 12 months can have up to four ounces a day and should not be given in a bottle to avoid tooth decay.

• Children up to 6 years old can have up to 6 ounces a day, and children ages 6 to 12 can have up to 12 ounces a day.

• Four ounces of juice equals one serving of fruit, but keep in mind that juice lacks the fiber of whole fruit. Although a little fruit juice each day is fine for most children, whole fruit is preferred.

Fan in Baby’s Room May Lower SIDS Risk
Young infants who sleep in bedrooms with fans have a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome than babies who sleep in less well-ventilated rooms, new research by the National Institute of Health shows.
Investigators concluded that sleeping with a fan lowers SIDS risk by more than 70 percent.
Sleeping in a room with an open window was also found to lower risk.
The intriguing findings must be confirmed, and researchers say fan use is no substitute for interventions known to lower SIDS risk, such as placing babies to sleep on their backs, avoiding soft bedding in cribs, and putting babies to sleep with pacifiers.
SIDS deaths have dropped by more than half in the United States since 1992, when parents were first told to put babies to sleep on their backs.
SIDS, is the leading cause of death in babies 1 month to 1 year old and is most likely to occur when babies are between 2 and 4 months old.