You are what you eat

This month Pediatric Neurology published a study investigating the effect of nutritional therapy on quadriplegic children (spastic quadriplegia was specifically studied, as in the children with cerebral palsy). Soylu et. al's main findings were an increase in body size and, more importantly, a decrease in the number of lower respiratory tract infections in the study group over a 6 month period.
I remember the wrapper on my hot ham & cheese sandwich at Holling Heights Elementary School in Omaha telling me: "Eat to Live, Live to Eat." While I still doubt their premise (not the eat to live part, but the concept that I cannot go on if I do not eat a hot ham & cheese) I don't discount the "You are what you eat" mantra pushed by every elementary school health teacher. This study supports the adage terrifically. If the body doesn't get the right nutrients, especially in a neuro/immuno compromised situation, how can it function properly? The simple answer is that it can't. Unfortunately there are plenty of non-compromised individuals totally ignoring this, fueling their own propensity for infections. The instructions are simple- put good things in your body, and it makes good you. Put bad things in, it still makes you...
Reference:
Soylu, OB, Unalp, A, Uran, N, Dizdarer, G, Ozgonul, FO, Conku, A, Ataman, H, Oxturk, AA. (2008) "Effect of Nutritional Support in Children With Spastic Quadriplegia." Pediatric Neurology 39 (5) pp 330-334.