Bel Marra Health supports recent research that points to drinking water as a way to make smarter food choices

(prHWY.com) May 28, 2012 - Pine Valley, PA -- New research published in the May 2012 edition of Appetite journal, has revealed a simple and accessible way to make healthier food choices.

The research was based on two separate studies and it was conducted by T. Bettina Cornwell of the University of Oregon and Anna R. McAlister of Michigan State University. For the first study, 60 adults between the ages of 19 and 23 were surveyed on the role of food and drink pairings. The survey revealed that adults prefer the pairing of sweetened beverages with high calorie, salty foods, over sweetened beverages with vegetables.

For the second study, 75 children between the ages 3 and 5 were recruited for multiple experiments involving beverages served with vegetables. The preschooler experiments were conducted under differing scenarios and on different days. The researchers found that the children choose to consume more raw vegetables when they were served with water as opposed to a sweetened drink.

According to Cornwell, children learn to associate high calorie, sugary drinks such as colas, with high fat foods such as French fries, from a very early age. McAlister adds that early palate development appears to play an important influential role in food choices later in life. Meals served at home and meal combinations offered at restaurants, set the stage for these associations and for the tendency to choose junk food over healthy food, when sipping on sweetened beverages.

"Our taste preferences are heavily influenced by repeated exposure to particular foods and drinks," states Cornwell."If the drink on the table sets the odds against both adults and children eating their vegetables, then perhaps it is time to change that drink... and to serve water with all meals. Restaurants easily could use water as their default drink in kids' meal combos and charge extra for other drink alternatives." Both McAlister and Cornwell are confident that serving water with meals could effectively reduce the nation's obesity rates, diabetes rates and ever rising healthcare costs.

CEO of Bel Marra Health Jim Chiang chimed in on the research findings saying, "In spite of everything, obesity has risen by 214 percent and roughly two out of every three adults in America are now classified as overweight or obese. This is the sort of research North Americans really need to pay attention to."

(SOURCE: "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," Causes and Consequences: What causes overweight and obesity? April 2012)

Bel Marra Health, the maker of Real African Mango, offers high-quality vitamins and nutritional supplements in formulations designed to address specific health concerns. All ingredients are backed with scientific evidence. Every product is tested for safety, quality, and purity at every stage of the manufacturing process. Furthermore, Bel Marra Health products are produced only in Health Canada approved facilities, going that extra mile to ensure our health conscious customers are getting top quality products. For more information on Bel Marra Nutritionals visit http://www.belmarrahealth.com or call 1-866-531-0466.

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