The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report has a paper on trends in the prevalence of excess dietary sodium intake in the U.S. from 2003 to 2010. Excess sodium intake is a problem in this country. Eating too much sodium can lead to hypertension, the primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Reducing population sodium intake is … Read more
According to a Gallup and Heathways poll, Americans’ eating habits got worse in 2013, with produce consumption declining in most months, compared to polls in 2012. Fewer adults are reporting eating healthy “all day yesterday” in every month this year compared to the same months last year. The percentage of U.S. adults who ate “healthy” … Read more
A study published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine conducted at the Sanders Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky found that low vitamin D levels in middle aged and older people may promote cognitive decline. Scientists changed vitamin D levels in rats and looked at changes in vitamin D-dependent proteins in the … Read more
A new study from scientists at the University of Montreal has found that asparagine, an amino acid that has been considered non-essential because the body produces it naturally, may be an essential amino acid required in our diets. Senior co-author of the study, Dr. Jacques Michaud, said, “the cells of the body can do without … Read more
A study published earlier this month in the New England Journal of Medicine states that increased nut consumption is associated with a reduced risk of major chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The study also found that people who ate nuts every day weighted less. The nut consumption with total and cause-specific … Read more
The University of Georgia, along with the Frozen Food Foundation conducted a study comparing the nutrient content of eight frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables. They found that the nutritional value of many of the frozen fruits and veggies are equal to the fresh choices, and is greater in some cases. The scientists mimicked consumer … Read more
The FDA has issued draft guidance for the food industry to help reduce levels of acrylamide in foods. Acrylamide is a chemical that forms in foods during high temperature cooking. Frying, roasting, broiling, and baking are the typical cooking modes that can cause this reaction. Acrylamide is characterized as “reasonably anticipated to be a human … Read more
A few years ago, trans fats were all over the news. Those artificial fats are made by mixing polyunsaturated oils with hydrogen gas so the oil solidifies and can be used in baking. In that process, the hydrogen molecules bond with the carbon molecules; this can happen in two ways. If the hydrogen molecules bond … Read more
While buying Halloween candy this year (and eating a few), I noticed a strange aftertaste in some milk chocolate products. I read the label and saw an acronym I had never seen before. PGPR, or polyglycerol polyricinoleate, is an emulsifier that is used as a substitute for some of the cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is … Read more
A study from the University of Copenhagen, published in the Journal of Physiology has found that resveratrol supplements in older men may counteract the positive effects of exercise. This popular antioxidant supplement has been touted as a health benefit. This study contradicts other studies that found the supplements improved the cardiovascular benefits of exercise by … Read more