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Is the key to fighting H1N1 found in a bowl of cereal?
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Turn on the news, scan a website or sit down to chat with a friend and most likely the subject of "Swine Flu" (more accurately known as the H1N1 virus) will be broached. Talk of this health epidemic is everywhere, leaving parents wondering how they can protect their children and families from this strain of the flu.
Kellogg's just might have the answer. In May 2009, this cereal giant released a new line of their popular morning cereal, Rice Krispies. This new line of cereal comes with a strong proclamation, boldly stating on the box that the cereal inside "Help support's your child's immunity." In a time when families are standing in line for hours to receive the H1N1 vaccine and when schools are closing due to outbreaks of the flu, purchasing a cereal that promises to boost a child's immunity seems to be a good move by some parents.
Now questions are being raised regarding the probability of a bowl full of sugar-laden cereal can really boost a child's immunity. Nutritionists and critics are questioning exactly how Rice Krispies have been altered to now contain immunity-boasting materials. The city of San Fransisco jumped on this bandwagon, publicly asking the Kellogg's corporation to defend how a cereal such as Cocoa Rice Krispies could possibly contain enough nutrients to significantly boost a child's immunity. Kellogg's responded, stating that they added the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E to its Cocoa and Rice Krispie cereals because studies show these vitamins play a key role in the immune system.
Rice Krispies is actually one of the less sugar-laden cereals marketed to children on the grocery store shelves these days. It only takes a close look at the ingredients to realize this cereal is simply toasted white rice flavored with sugar and a few vitamins and minerals. Such ingredients are not exactly the making of a wholesome, flu-fighting breakfast. Could the added vitamins possibly help boost a child's immune system, thus protecting them from the flu? Possibly. Would serving children healthier, less-processed foods(citrus fruits, lean meats, green vegetables, pro-biotic yogurt) paired with a daily vitamin protect them from the flu? Potentially.
Leave a comment and share your thoughts about cereal claiming to boost children's immunity. Do such claims make you more likely to buy a product or do you view it simply as a marketing ploy?
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