Spain is the second country in Europe with more prevalence of overweight and childhood obesity. The poor diet of Spanish children begins already in the first years of life. This is revealed by ALSALMA study developed by Almirón. This is a pioneering research that, for the first time, has studied the nutritional habits of children between 0 and 3 years old.
And it is that food during the first three years of life is fundamental and builds the health of children for the future. According to Dr. Ana Morais, Pediatrician at La Paz Children's University Hospital, "children are not miniature adults and, therefore, have to eat a diet specifically tailored to their nutritional needs." One of the conclusions drawn from the ALSALMA Study reveals that More than 90% of children between 1 and 3 years consume more than twice the recommended protein.
Dr. Morais explains that "this excessive protein intake may be due, among others, to the consumption of foods not adapted to children's age, such as cow's milk and a meat intake that exceeds the recommended amounts."
What happens if you consume too much protein in childhood, because it could increase the risk of future obesity development, which in turn increases the chance of suffering cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, myocardial infarction or stroke, diabetes and joint diseases.
For all this, and according to the data obtained in the ALSALMA Study, Almirón has launched the Nutrition program "Feeding the Health of Tomorrow", with the aim of contributing to improve child nutrition in Spain, especially in the early stages of life. From Almirón they are committed to this study and have launched adapted milk formulas up to three years to help reduce excess protein consumption because their protein content is low. They will also help ensure the necessary intake of micronutrients such as iron and calcium.
