· Also recorded better indicators of cardiovascular risk.
In addition, the risk of deficiencies and nutritional imbalances descends from a 50 per cent to 39.5 per cent.
· Consumption of bread has not stopped falling in Spain, today consume less than half that in 1964.
It may seem a paradox, especially taking into account the fame of caloric has the pan in particular and carbohydrates in general (that the bread not puts on weight is something many years defending), but that is the main conclusion of a recent study involving 504 schoolchildren between 8 and 13 years belonging to 10 educational centers in La Coruña, Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla and Valencia.
To carry out this study, conducted by dr. Rosa M. Ortega, Professor of nutrition at the University Complutense in Madrid, children were divided into two groups according to their daily consumption of bread (more and less than 80 grams a day), and then analyze the impact that would in all of them the consumption of two other daily rations more.
Increasing consumption of bread rises the energy from the carbohydrates and descends that comes from the fats (lipids) in the work is revealed that children who eat more bread have fewer problems of overweight (15.8 percent suffer overweight and a 13.9% obesity) while these figures increase to an average of 16.6 per cent in overweight and 20.5 per cent of obesity, in the group that consumed less bread.
The investigating team also noted that those who eat more pan recorded a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) (18.8 k/m2 compared to 19.4 kg/m2 of those who eat less), as well as a profile caloric more appropriate in their diets (percentage of calories from carbohydrates, proteins and fats) and best blood parameters indicators of cardiovascular risk (cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol) and indicators of control of glucose (glucose basal and insulin basal).
The consumption of bread also favors an intake more adequate nutrients. In the case of the fiber, the lack of which involves the emergence of pathologies like constipation, cardiovascular disease or cancer; children who eat more bread eaten 18.6 g/day, while the rest only 16.2 g/day.
With respect to other nutrients, it should be noted the increase in the contribution of niacin or Vitamin B3, 33 mg/day in which eat more bread and 30.1 mg/day in the rest; magnesium, 270.3 mg/day compared to 249.1 mg/day; or Vitamin A, 996.6 mcg/day compared to 850.5 mcg/day.
When it comes to calculate the Index of healthy diets (IHD), in the study found that 18.6 per cent of the children studied showed poor diets and a 31.7% subsistence acceptable, but not considered completely balanced, which shows that a 50.3 per cent could be at risk of deficiencies and nutritional imbalances.
Subsequently to be carried out the theoretical assumption add two rations of white bread a day with the aim to see how change the child’s diet. This increase was a significant improvement in the caloric profile of allowances, as it increases energy from the carbohydrates (reaches 47 percent compared to 44%) and descends from the lipids (40 per cent to 37 per cent).
The increase in consumption of pan allows balancing the diets of schoolchildren, which at present are characterized by excessive intake of fats and proteins and a minor contribution of carbohydrates
The child who takes more bread, takes more than the amount of vitamin B1 and iodine (important in the functioning of the nervous system), more folic acid (which helps the protection cardiovascular and improves mental function) or more zinc (important to get a better immune response).
“Specifically in relation to the folate intake media passes from 89.9 per cent to 95.6 per cent of what is recommended, for the iodine of 61.9 per cent to 64.2%; for zinc, from 75.7 per cent to 79.2%, which contributes to the nutritional situation of children change very favorably only with the increase in these 2 bread rations,” confirms the professor Ortega.
As regards the Index of Healthy Diet (IHD), reduces the number of children who have poor diets (of a 18.6 per cent to 11.5%) and subsistence acceptable (of a 31.7 per cent to 28%), with what the percentage of school children at risk for various nutritional problems low of a 50.3 per cent to 39.5 per cent and increases, in turn, the number of children that improve the quality your diet (of a 47.5 per cent to 54, 6%).
The consumption of bread has not stopped falling in Spain since 1964. In 2006 each Spanish consuming less than half of bread that in 1964. Something similar has happened with potatoes. In addition has significantly increased the consumption of fat.