Merry Christmas from all of us at Mercy Christian Health!

Merry Christmas!  Blessings to you as we remember the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! May His love surround you and your family this Christmas! Many donors choose to make their gift in support of MCH during this time of the year.  There are many expenses involved in running a medical practice.  In addition, we are actively seeking experienced providers to join our practice. Your financial support will really make a difference!  Please visit https://www.mercychristianhealth.org/give if you wish to partner with us to further our mission.

Heavy metals in food

A recent study by Healthy Babies Bright Futures found that almost all commercial baby foods contain heavy metals. This was found in all brands and organic versions of baby foods. Heavy metals naturally occur in soil so choosing to do homemade baby food likely will not resolve this problem. Root crops like carrots and sweet potatoes as well as leafy greens retain more of these heavy metals than other fruits and vegetables. The report suggests this small list of measures that will significantly reduce heavy metal exposure to your child:

1. Avoid rice puff snacks, teething biscuits and rusks. Instead try rice-free puffs and snacks and frozen fruit or vegetables for teething

2. Avoid rice cereal. Instead offer multi-grain cereal or oatmeal

3. Avoid fruit juice. Instead offer water

4. Avoid carrots and sweet potatoes. Instead give more of a variety of fruits and vegetables that can include carrots, sweet potatoes but other options as well

Reference: https://www.healthybabyfood.org/sites/healthybabyfoods.org/files/2019-10/BabyFoodReport_EXEC-SUMM-ENGLISH_R5b.pdf

The Reality of Depression

Depression is a very significant issue worldwide in people of all ages. It is estimated that up to 7% of adolescents have been diagnosed with depression. It affects about 20% of teens by the time they are adults. It is the third leading cause of death in the US in people age 10-24 years old. Depression is the leading cause of disability for people six years old and up.

A study recently published by JAMA Psychiatry found that adolescents age 12-15 years who spent more than 3 hours a day on social media were twice as likely to experience depression, anxiety, loneliness, aggression or antisocial behavior.

The good news: A recent study showed that transitioning from a high fat and sugar diet to a Mediterranean diet decreased the incidence of depression.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2749480?&utm_source=BulletinHealthCare&utm_medium=email&utm_term=100119&utm_content=NON-MEMBER&utm_campaign=article_alert-morning_rounds_daily&utm_uid=&utm_effort=

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0222768#sec016

https://www.medicinenet.com/teen_depression/article.htm#what_is_the_prognosis_of_teen_depression