MyKidsPotential.com Help Your Child Succeed
www.mykidspotential.com
is our new website devoted to Kids Potential – the first kids vitamin patented for “learning, academic & behavioral functioning.”* (Patent 7,771,756)
Kids Potential is:
- Dispensed in schools as part of a program to improve learning, test scores & behavior
- All natural, no colors, flavors, preservatives or other unnecessary additives
- Designed to support brain function in children
- Patented for learning
- Endorsed by an entire school district and underwritten by a State Department of Education
Study: Poor Childhood Diet Linked to Low IQ – Vitamins Can Help
A diet high in fats, sugars, and processed foods in early childhood may result in lower IQ scores, while a diet rich in healthy foods packed with vitamins and nutrients may work in reverse, suggests new research.
The study, published in BMJ’s Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, reports a “weak but novel” association between dietary patterns in early childhood, and general intelligence assessed at eight and a half years of age.
The results of the study suggest that the eating habits in early childhood – particularly up until the age of three – may play a role in shaping the development of the brain, and thus affect behaviour, learning performance and IQ in later life.
“In this population of contemporary British children, a poor diet, associated with increased intake of processed foods, fat and sugar, in early childhood may be associated with lower IQ at the age of 8.5 years. In addition, a concurrent healthy diet may be associated with higher IQ,” said the researchers, led by Dr Kate Northstone from the Department of Social Medicine at the University of Bristol, UK.
The importance of healthy diets
Commenting on the new study, Barbara Gallani director of food safety and science at the UK’s Food and Drink Federation told FoodNavigator that it would not be surprising if a healthy, balanced diet is important in IQ development, “just like it is generally for children’s health and growth.”
She added that it is important for everyone, not just children, to eat a wide variety of foods, noting that it is possible eat a healthy diet and still include some ‘treat’ foods.
Gallani said that food manufacturers are leading the way when it comes to providing clear labelling on foods, as well as changing recipes to make old favourites healthier, which “makes it even easier for parents to choose a balanced diet that’s right for their families.”
An intelligent diet
Northstone and her colleagues noted that previous research investigating possible associations between nutrition and IQ in children have tended to focus on the use of dietary supplements or on intakes of specific nutrients.
For example, several studies have examined the effects of vitamin supplementation on IQ in children, with mixed results.
However, the authors said that studies investigating the long-term effects of nutrition on intelligence are sparse and conflicting. “In particular …there appears to be little known about the effects of the diet in early childhood on general intelligence later in life,” they said.
“We do not eat foods in isolation, rather consuming combinations of foods in meals and snacks,” explained the authors.
“Assessing dietary patterns as opposed to individual foods or nutrients allows to us take into account these intercorrelations, which may otherwise be overlooked,” they said.
The new cross sectional study, based on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), examined the links between dietary patterns through early and mid-childhood (3 to 8.5 years) and IQ assessed at 8.5 years of age.
Study details
The researchers measured dietary patterns using principal-components analysis (PCA), which provide overall summaries of dietary intake. The diet data, measured at the ages of 3, 4, 7 and 8.5 was then examined for any associations between diet and IQ in nearly 4,000 children.
Three consistent dietary patterns were found from PCA at each time point: a ‘processed’, ‘traditional’ and ‘health conscious’ pattern.
The ‘processed’ pattern was illustrated by foods containing high fat and sugar content and by higher intakes of processed and convenience foods. The ‘traditional’ pattern was associated with consumption of generally home cooked meat, poultry, potato and vegetables, whilst the ‘health-conscious’ pattern was predominantly made up from high intakes of salads, fruit, vegetables, fish, pasta and rice.
“On minimal adjustment, all dietary pattern scores were associated with IQ with the exception of the ‘traditional’ pattern,” said the authors.
Before adjustment for confounding factors (such as parental influence, social and economic status, and other environmental factors) the researchers observed that the ‘processed’ food pattern was negatively associated with IQ at all ages, while the ‘health-conscious’ pattern at all ages were positively associated with IQ.
However, after adjustment for a wide variety of potential confounding factors, they reported that many associations between IQ and dietary pattern were lost, and those that remained (‘processed’ pattern at three years and ‘health-conscious’ patterns at 8.5 years) “were markedly attenuated”, according to the authors.
For the remaining relationships (after full adjustment) the ‘processed’ food pattern at 3 years was found to be such that a one point increase in the PCA score resulted in an almost two-point decrease in IQ at 8.5 years. Whilst the ‘health-conscious’ pattern was associated with an increased in IQ of 1.20 points per one point increase in PCA pattern score.
Interpretation
Northstone and colleagues said that the results of the study suggest a more “long-term effect of diet on the child’s ability to ‘learn’,” they noted that this could be in part be explained by favourable growth of the brain in early childhood – They noted that it is known that the brain grows at its fastest rate during the first 3 years of life.
“Studies have shown that head growth during this time is associated with cognitive outcome, and it is possible that good nutrition during this early period may encourage optimal brain growth,” said the authors.
However, they added that given the levels of attenuation seen in the effect sizes when adjusted for confounding factors, “we cannot exclude the possibility of residual confounding.”
Source: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1136/jech.2010.111955
“Are dietary patterns in childhood associated with IQ at 8 years of age? A population-based cohort study”
K. Northstone, C. Joinson, P. Emmett, A. Ness, T. Paus
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Kids Potential is the first kids multi-vitamin patented as a “nutritional supplement to enhance learning, academic and behavioral functioning.” Patent #7,771,756
Over 8 years of experience in public schools shows that Kids Potential has a positive impact on learning, academic and behavioral performance in children.
Learn more here: Kids Potential.
Buy Kids Potential by clicking here.
Why School Children Need Support
Results of a national survey of 638 kindergarten through eighth grade public school teachers in urban, suburban and rural communities revealed 60% of teachers have children in their classrooms who are not getting enough to eat at home, which impacts their ability to learn.
According to the “Hunger in Our Schools: Share Our Strength’s Teachers Report,” 98% of teachers surveyed believe there is a strong connection between eating a healthy breakfast and a student’s ability to concentrate, behave and perform academically. The teachers also note the problem increased in the past year.
The study revealed 65% of teachers reported that most or many of their students rely on school meals as their primary source of nutrition, and 40% of teachers believe it is a serious problem that children are coming to school hungry because they have not had enough to eat at home. Sixty-one percent of teachers said they have purchased food for their classrooms out of their own pockets, spending an average of $25 a month; 74% have helped kids sign up for free or reduced-priced meals; and 49% have referred students and parents to resources in the school.
“No child should be hungry at school. We have national programs in place, like school breakfast, that are there to serve children in need. We need to let more families know their children are eligible for these meal programs and help them overcome the barriers that prevent full enrollment,” said Bill Shore, founder and executive director of Share Our Strength, a Washington-based nonprofit working to end childhood hunger in the United States.
Share Our Strength has developed its “No Kid Hungry” campaign to combat childhood hunger, and hopes stronger breakfast programs in schools will improve student performance.
Read the full report here: “Hunger in Our Schools: Share Our Strength’s Teachers Report.”
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This is just one reason why Advantig Health & Sport supports disadvantaged, public school children by offering Kids Potential at a special institutional price. Thousands of US public school children benefit daily by taking this chewable multi-vitamin dispensed by their teachers right before lunch. Kids Potential is the first nutritional supplement patented as a “nutritional supplement to enhance learning, academic & behavioral performance.” Learn more by clicking here.
Could Potential Help a Successful Child Too?
Kids Potential is a chewable wafer that brings a welcome difference in quality, nutritional value and purpose to the kids vitamin market. No, it is not a gummy candy masquerading as something good for your child. Kids Potential offers well-rounded nutrition from full spectrum vitamins, natural vitamin E (not synthetic) and the natural antioxidant power from deep-colored fruit & berry concentrates especially produced for this children’s vitamin. Potential contains no sugar, artificial colors, artificial flavors or preservatives.
Potential is the only chewable kids vitamin dispensed by a school district to thousands of children now for 7 years that is supported by real results. PBS filmed a documentary called “How to Turn Around a Failing School” and FOX News filmed a news segment following up to its years of success in the public school system. Potential has made a meaningful difference in the lives of at-risk children.
But can Potential help an already successful child?
We just received a link to the Mamawize blog in which an educator/parent discusses how Potential has benefited her academically successful son. Have a read and let us know what you think:
To watch the short FOX News segment, click on the play arrow in the black box from this link: Potential.
All About Kids Potential
Why Kids Potential Was Developed
Seven years ago Dr. Jerry Schlesser was approached by experts in criminology and education, seeking his expertise in formulating evidence-based nutritional supplements to address specific health concerns. When Dr. Schlesser graduated from medical school with his degree in Naturopathic Medicine and Chiropractic, he quickly realized that there were no natural or nutritional clinical products available to treat his patients. His quest to formulate and produce natural, nutritional supplements to fill a clinical need led to his creation of NF Formulas, the oldest supplement company to serve medical practitioners. Advantig supplements are based on over 30 years of nutritional expertise.
These criminology/education experts wanted to pursue an untested and novel approach to education reform that focused on the child’s needs, but more specifically on the child’s nutritional needs. They asked Dr. Schlesser to design a clinical, dietary supplement for academic performance and social behavior to address rampant problems at Anthony Elementary that many other schools face today.
The Challenge
Anthony Elementary School was selected as the “study school” because this Pre-K to 5th grade school of approximately 335 students scored at the bottom of the district on standardized Math & English tests, perennially. Anthony was on the verge of closure for poor academic performance and exceptionally high rates of violence and antisocial behavior. Adults in this elementary school called police to manage out of control students an average of once a week. Anthony’s violence statistics were a frightening 6+ times the state average at 9.3% vs. 1.45% for the state. When educators tried to teach, young children would throw chairs or take a swing at a teacher. These were kids who never experienced academic success.
The Program
Educators designed the Eat Exercise Excel Program which included:
- Structured Activity During Recess
- Increased PE Time
- Lunch in Classroom with Teacher
- Nutrition Education
- Kids Potential Multi-Vitamin Supplement – dispensed to kids at Breakfast & Lunch
The Results
Reduction in Anti-Social Behavior
- 95% Reduction in Referrals for anti-social behavior
- 80% Reduction in Out of School suspensions
- 97% Reduction in Suspension for Violence
- Teachers report less difficulty managing classroom
Improvement in Academic Performance
- Rose to #1 in school district in Math, meeting benchmark for 10 years in advance
- Rose to #2 in school district for English, meeting benchmark for 10 years in advance
Additional Benefits
- 80% Reduction in teacher attrition
- Reduced absenteeism for teachers & students
- Volunteers & community partnerships increased
- Parent-Teacher Organization reactivated for the 1st time in 10 years
- 13 fold improvement in physical fitness (40 kids met Presidential Physical Fitness standards vs. 3 in previous year)
- School changed from chaotic & out of control to a quiet learning environment
- Attendance at Parent-Teacher conferences increased from 69% to 85%
- Awarded Recognition for Becoming a Top School by the Confidence in Education Task Force
- Moved from the Bottom to the Top 6% of Schools in the District
- Featured in a PBS Documentary as a Model For School Turnaround
Results were so amazing that PBS filmed a documentary on the program called “How to Turn Around a Failing School.” This 28 minute documentary can be viewed here: http://www.advantig.net/products/potential.
FOX News followed up on the program’s success two years later and reported that the results were profound and lasting. The 6 minute segment can be viewed here: http://www.advantig.net/products/potential.
Year 2 – School Lost All Funding for Eat, Exercise, Excel
So What Happened?
Because we believe that kids should be rewarded for their success, Advantig Health & Sport continued to provide Kids Potential to schools at no charge while the district sought financial support for the program.
Kids Potential became the only remaining component of the Eat, Exercise, Excel program.
How Did Kids Do with Potential by Itself?
Kids continued to excel, behavior stayed in control and the school district decided to offer Potential to every school child in the city. School principals are convinced that a well-designed phytonutrient multi-vitamin that delivers 100% of the US RDA for Vitamins and Minerals is the key component to kids’ academic and social success.
It’s Just the Vitamins, Right?
If simply providing 100% of the US RDA were the key, then a bowl of Total breakfast cereal or any number of fortified breakfast cereals would be enough to ensure academic success. But kids were already eating these breakfast cereals and it wasn’t enough.
No, it’s Just the Right Vitamins
Kids Potential is based on over 30 years of nutritional research, clinical experience and understanding of human biochemistry. Potential relies heavily on specially-processed, high antioxidant fruit concentrates that the brain needs for antioxidant support for optimal function. Potential contains NO artificial colors or artificial flavors which have finally been confirmed to negatively impact brain function in a landmark study published the British Medical Journal, The Lancet in November 2007 (“Food Additives & Hyperactive Behavior in 3 Year Old and 8/9 Year Old Children in the Community: a Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo Controlled Trial.”) Potential is a synergistic combination of full spectrum vitamins, minerals and special antioxidants found in balanced, nutritious whole foods. Moms everywhere say “you are what you eat” – now 7 years of objective test scores and behavioral statistics finally confirm what Mom told us long ago.
Mind & Body
It’s not all about test scores. Education is much more than learning how to pass a test. For us, it is about providing the right nutritional environment in which a child’s mind and body can function at optimal efficiency to flourish. When this happens you get kids who perform better under academic stress and whose rational thought process helps them to consider the consequences of impulsive behavior. Seven years of research has confirmed this theory.
Why Kids Potential is Better for Kids
Kids Potential
Potential is based on National Academy of Sciences & Institutes of Medicine Guidelines and US Department of Agriculture studies that show the benefits of High ORAC* Antioxidants. (ORAC = Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity means how well a food functions as an antioxidant)
Beneficial Antioxidants from High ORAC Fruit Concentrates
Not only do fruit & berry concentrates provide delicious natural flavor and color, they provide essential antioxidant supplementation from natural, whole food sources. High ORAC antioxidants from fruits and berries have been shown to be beneficial for healthy brain and nerve function and behavior. Potential contains a proprietary blend of fruit & berry extracts from wild bilberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, elderberry, raspberry, rose hips, orange, strawberry and red concord grapeskin which are NOT found in commercially available, mass market multi-vitamins for kids.
Neuro Biol Aging, August 28, 2007: 8:1187-94, Beneficial Effects of Fruit Extracts on Neuronal Function & Behavior in Rodent Model of Accelerated Aging. Shukitt-Hale, B., Carey, AN., Jenkins, D., Rabin, BM., Joseph, JA. USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Tufts University, Boston, MA.
Full Spectrum Vitamins/Minerals, Active & Natural Forms = Complete Supplementation
Potential contains multi-source forms of ingredients to ensure full spectrum nutrition. For example, mass market kids vitamins may contain beta carotene, but not all the other carotenoids. In a perfect world with balanced diets, kids would consume full spectrum vitamin supplementation. Since we know that kids do not always eat a balanced diet, Potential provides full spectrum, supplemental nutrition from whole foods.
Minerals are generally not palatable and are difficult to absorb. Potential provides a broad range of multi-source minerals which are designed for palatability and provide a diversity of nutritional sources, similar to an omnivorous diet. Each chewable wafer provides a broad spectrum of minerals, including Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, Chromium and Molybdenum. Potential also provides Selenium, an important antioxidant for the brain not often found in mass market kids vitamins.
Potential contains the “Active Form” of key vitamins so that a child’s body doesn’t need to make a conversion. Genetic differences in the population make it difficult for some individuals to make these conversions. “Active Forms” do it for you. Even though the “Active Forms” are more expensive, we use them in Potential for the kids’ benefit.
Potential contains all natural Vitamin E with full spectrum mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols because they all play slightly different but important roles as antioxidants in the body. Because Potential relies on food source nutrients, the Vitamin E in Potential is the very same full spectrum Vitamin E that you would find in fresh, wholesome foods which is important because the bio potency of natural Vitamin E is twice that of synthetic Vitamin E.
Did you know that the body only uses the natural form of Vitamin E? There is really no definitive research to clarify what happens to the synthetic form of Vitamin E in the body. Synthetic Vitamin E (the L-form) is used in most commercial kids multi-vitamins, but NOT in Kids Potential.
What you Won’t Find in Kids Potential
Informed parents need to know what to look for, as well as what to avoid. Kids Potential does not contain any of these nutritionally unnecessary additives found in mass market children’s vitamins:
- Aspartame
- Sucrose (white sugar)
- Sorbitol
- Fructose (implicated in childhood obesity & dyslipidemia)
- Hydrogentated oil (trans fat)
- Butylated Hydroxytoluene (preservative)
- Wheat (FDA allergen)
- Soybeans (FDA allergen)
- Starch
- FD&C Blue #2 Lake
- FD&C Red #40 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Yellow #6 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Yellow #5
- Artificial Flavors
- Sodium Benzoate
- Synthetic Vitamin E
Nutritionally Unnecessary Additives in Common Mass Market Vitamins for Kids
Flinstones Complete
- Aspartame
- Sucrose (white sugar)
- Hydrogenated Oil (trans fat)
- Butylated Hydroxytoluene
- FD&C Blue #2 Lake
- FD&C Red #40 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Yellow #6 Aluminum Lake
- Artificial Flavors
Centrum Kids (Dora)
- Aspartame
- Sucrose (white sugar)
- Wheat (FDA allergen)
- Soybeans (FDA allergen)
- FD&C Blue 2 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Red 40 Aluminum Lake
- FD&C Yellow 6 Aluminum Lake
- Artificial Flavors
- Sodium Benzoate (preservative)
One a Day Scooby Doo Multi-Vitamins
- Aspartame
- Sorbitol
- Starch
- FD&C Red 40 Lake
- FD&C Yellow 6 Lake
- FD&C Blue 2 Lake
- Artificial Flavors
Only 13% of Daily Value of Biotin (Kids Potential = 100%)
Only 15% of the Vitamin C in Kids Potential
Kids Potential=2 1/2 times the Magnesium in multiple forms
Disney Winnie the Pooh Complete
- Fructose (Implicated in childhood obesity & dyslipidemia)
- Blue 2 Lake
- Yellow 6 Lake
- Red 40 Lake
- Synthetic Vitamin E
- Artificial Flavors
Only 13% of Daily Value of Biotin (Kids Potential = 100%)
Only 15% of the Vitamin C in Kids Potential
Kids Potential=2 1/2 times the Magnesium in multiple forms
Rite Aid Multi-Vitamin + Iron
- Fructose (Implicated in childhood obesity & dyslipidemia)
- Hydrogenated Oil (trans fat)
- FD&C Yellow 5
- FD&C Blue 2
- FD&C Red 40
- Artificial Flavors
20% Less Iron than Kids Potential