Brooklyn, NY, Sep 25 2007, PRNewswire – Pioneering HAPPYBABY® Brand Organic Baby Food Debuts HAPPYBELLIES®, the First Baby Cereal with Probiotics to Protect Against the Development of Food Allergies and DHA for Brain Health – New Cereal Recommended by Renowned Pediatrician, Dr. Robert W. Sears …
Nurture, Inc., the parent company of HAPPYBABY®, the first nationally distributed fresh frozen organic baby meals, today announces the launch of HAPPYBELLIES®, the first baby cereal with Probiotics and the only organic baby cereal with DHA. The newest innovation from Nurture, Inc. supports the company’s long standing commitment to provide the healthiest, most beneficial first and advanced foods for infants and toddlers, while also serving as a trusted educational resource for parents. HAPPYBELLIES is the only baby cereal recommended by the renowned Pediatrician, Dr. Robert “Bob” Sears, MD. Dr Sears has worked with Nurture, Inc. since inception teaming up to develop a full range of healthy meals for babies and toddlers as well as providing helpful feeding tips on product boxes and their website.
HAPPYBELLIES is another critical stepping stone provided by Nurture, Inc. in understanding the importance of a healthy start … what a baby eats today will shape the child’s tastes and nutrition for life. The cereals’ addition of Probiotics and DHA aids critical components in early infant brain and eye development while potentially staving off future allergies, asthma, and eczema.
“The first time you lay eyes on your new born you immediately look for ten fingers and ten toes,” says Dr. Bob Sears, MD, of the Sears family of Pediatricians; best selling author and lecturer. “What you can’t see is how
babies are developing internally. Strong brain, eye and immune advancements at the earliest stage possible are crucial building blocks in the overall good health and wellbeing of children. HAPPYBELLIES cereals easily and
conveniently provide the necessary DHA and Probiotics to achieve solid early development. I believe in the power of these important products and highly recommend them.”
Probiotics:
Probiotics are “friendly bacteria” that live in our intestines and help the immune system by discouraging the growth of harmful disease-causing bacteria. The tummy is the largest immune system organ. Good bacteria or
probiotics in baby’s belly fight infection and illness helping improve immunity. Probiotics act as a protective shield on the intestinal lining … the good bacteria stick to the lining preventing the bad bacteria from coming through. Probiotics are naturally found in breast milk and some other food sources including fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, aged cheeses, miso, and sauerkraut. HAPPYBELLIES cereals are supplemented with probiotics.
The health benefits of Probiotics in the body include:
- Probiotics help keep a healthy balance of bacteria in the large intestine. By discouraging the growth of disease-causing bacteria, probiotics provide a boost to the immune system and help to prevent or treat a variety of ailments
- Strains of good bacteria have been shown to reduce colic in infants
- Reduce intestinal allergies. Probiotics promote anti-allergic processes by stimulating the production of growth factors suppressing allergic reactions to potentially allergic foods
- Probiotics may also help reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, help manage lactose intolerance, and promote bowel regularity
- Prevent infections in the intestines and elsewhere in the body including bronchitis and pneumonia
To maintain a healthy balance of organisms in the intestines, it is recommended that infants, children (and adults) consume probiotics daily.
DHA:
DHA is an Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acid that is critical to baby’s brain development, particularly during the first year of baby’s life when the brain triples in size. It is also critical for eye development as it is a main structural component of eye tissue. The human body cannot manufacture DHA from scratch and must get these fats from dietary sources. Typically, babies get DHA from breast milk or fortified infant formula, however once a baby begins eating solid foods breast milk/ infant formula will decrease requiring additional dietary sources of DHA. Food sources include: ground flax seeds and flaxseed oil, coldwater fish (primarily salmon, sardines and tuna), algae, canola oil, soybeans, walnuts, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, eggs, and fortified foods like HAPPYBELLIES and the recently introduced new HAPPYBABY meals.
- There are many health benefits provided by DHA as well as findings of inadequate DHA and Omega-3 Fats in diets. Information includes:
- Infants who have low amounts of DHA in their diet have reduced brain development and diminished visual acuity
- Cultures whose diet is high in Omega 3 Fatty Acids have a lower incidence of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis.
- Some children with poor school performance attributed to ADD have been shown to have insufficient essential fatty acids in their diet.[Source: askdrsears.com]
The DHA found in HAPPYBELLIES comes from a plant source. It is appropriate for vegetarian families and since it is cultivated from a plant (and not a fish source) it is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction in babies and young children.
“We started the company under the premise that all babies can be healthy, happy babies; the introduction of HAPPYBELLIES underscores our commitment to offering parents complete, nutritious meals and the
opportunity to really start their children out with optimal foods,” says Shazi Visram, CEO/Founder, Nurture, Inc. “The stakes are higher today; food allergies are increasing in number of affected children and severity, poor
eating habits at an early age; deficient immune systems, asthma, attention problems, and early age obesity seems to be more common than ever before. We see the HAPPYBELLIES line as part of a necessary solution in easing the myriad of health problems children are susceptible to today.”
HAPPYBELLIES groundbreaking cereals come in three USDA certified organic varieties so that baby’s can become accustomed to eating flavorful foods that are vibrant, wholesome and nutritious.
- HAPPYBELLIES varieties:
- HAPPYBELLIES Organic Oatmeal Baby Cereal (Organic Whole Oats)
- HAPPYBELLIES Organic Rice Baby Cereal (Organic Brown Rice)
- HAPPYBELLIES Organic Multi-Grain Baby Cereal (Organic Oats, Organic Quinoa, and Organic Amaranth – making this variety a hearty source of protein and dietary fiber)
In line with Nurture, Inc.’s commitment in also providing parents with convenience and versatility, HAPPYBELLIES is packaged in 8 oz boxes, allowing parents to pour as little or as much as they need. All varieties are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals such as iron, folic acid and zinc. Along with the DHA there are a range of potent, Probiotics strands such as L. Acidophilus, Bifidislactis, and L. Bulgaricus. As with all Nurture, Inc. products, the organic baby cereals are USDA certified organic, free of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetic engineering, soy
free, dairy free and produced in a nut-free facility.
HAPPYBELLIES will be available nationwide beginning October, 2008, and found at Whole Foods Market, Babies “R” Us and conventional grocers.
For more information on HAPPYBABY or HAPPYBELLIES products, as well as a variety of recipes and key nutritional information (from introducing solid foods to introducing new foods for babies of all ages and stages) by
Dr. Sears, MD and Nurture, Inc. nutritionist, Amy Marlow, MPH, RD, CND, please visit http://www.happybabyfood.com
CEO/Founder, Shazi Visram and COO/Founding partner, Jessica Rolph believe that every baby in the world deserves to have a happy belly. For every package of HAPPYBELLIES or HAPPYBABY purchased, Project Peanut Butter has committed to feed one malnourished child in Malawi. http://www.projectpeanutbutter.org.
Contact: Nicole Cohen/Cheryl Roth
OrganicWorks Marketing
212.253.0474
Nicole@Organicworksmarketing.com
