A Better Life

There is no question that our diet affects our health. Four of the leading causes of death in the U.S. are linked to diet: heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. Together, these conditions cost society about $250 billion annually in medical costs and lost productivity. Experts believe that an active lifestyle and healthy diet could prevent 30-40% of deaths due to cancer.

Good nutrition is particularly important for children. Children have very specific nutritional needs that, if not met, could impair their growth and development. Studies indicate that poor nutrition in childhood can have irreversible effects, ranging from mild to serious, affecting brain development, skeletal structure, and height. If malnutrition occurs during the critical period of high brain growth velocity (between the last trimester of pregnancy and age 2), deleterious effects on brain development are permanent. When compared with well-nourished populations, the adults of undernourished populations are 10% shorter. In addition, some diseases known to have a dietary component, such as atherosclerosis, are known to begin in childhood. And finally, lifelong dietary habits are largely rooted in childhood experiences. Faced with these sobering facts, parents must make every effort to ensure that their children are well nourished.

Many Mannatech associates actively support MannaRelief Ministries, a not-for-profit organization founded by Sam Caster in 1999. According to Mannatech, MannaRelief has aided children in more than 30 countries and has distributed glyconutritional enhancement products through more than 300 ministries worldwide.