Tag: Nutrition

FDA Ensures Your Foods From Animals Are Safe

If you eat meat or drink milk, you want to know: Are there trace amounts of the veterinary drugs used in food-producing animals entering your diet? And if they are, are the amounts safe for human consumption? Those questions—among others—are the concern of the Division of Residue Chemistry, which is part of FDA’s Center for… Continue reading FDA Ensures Your Foods From Animals Are Safe

Half of Elderly People Are Happy to Try New Foods

Elderly people are regarded as traditional consumers, but a study done by AZTI: The Safe Consortium in Spain found that there are more and more elderly people who are happy to accept new foods. However, these consumers insist that the new proposals should be similar to or evoke traditional products and flavors and, at the… Continue reading Half of Elderly People Are Happy to Try New Foods

The “Fat Suit” Study: The Larger Your Friends, the Larger Your Appetite

A study reported by the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab found that people are more likely to eat more and choose unhealthy foods when someone who is overweight is at the table or nearby. These findings support a theory that when eating with or near an overweight person, you may be less likely to… Continue reading The “Fat Suit” Study: The Larger Your Friends, the Larger Your Appetite

7 Ways to Eat More Vegetables

We all know we’re supposed to eat plenty of vegetables, but we don’t always do it, even though consuming veggies has myriad health benefits, including lowering the risk of heart disease. With that in mind, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched the Million Hearts Campaign, which is aimed at reducing the… Continue reading 7 Ways to Eat More Vegetables

Dairy is Good for Your Metabolic Health

Research done at CHU de Québec Research Center and Laval University in Canada found that dairy consumption may also have beneficial effects on metabolic health and can reduce risk of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. The study was published in September 2014 in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. A… Continue reading Dairy is Good for Your Metabolic Health

Asking About an Older Person’s Appetite Can Be a Lifesaver

A simple question about appetite can provide insights into older people’s general health that may help reduce their risk of dying, according to a study published in September 2014 in the journal Appetite. Emeritus Professor Mark Wahlqvist from Monash University’s Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine and the Monash Asia Institute led a team investigating… Continue reading Asking About an Older Person’s Appetite Can Be a Lifesaver

“Spice” Up Your Health

Did you know that one of the easiest things you can do to improve your health is to use a handful of spices each day? Simply adding the right spices increases nutrients in your diet, allows you to use less salt and sugar for taste, and also has important health side benefits. Here are a… Continue reading “Spice” Up Your Health

10 “Healthy” Food Practices That Could Make You Sick

Could your commitment to healthy living be making you sick? Some everyday food practices that most of us do with the best of intentions could actually be undermining all your efforts to eat less fat, increase fruit and veggie intake, and prepare meals hygienically at home. Danger lurks in your kitchen, in packaged foods and… Continue reading 10 “Healthy” Food Practices That Could Make You Sick

New Superfoods to Tackle Heart Disease & Diabetes

A new generation of superfoods that tackle heart disease and diabetes could be developed following research into a protein that helps keep cells in our bodies healthy, according to researchers at the University of Warwick Medical School in the UK. The team found that the protein, called Nrf2, continually moves in and out of the… Continue reading New Superfoods to Tackle Heart Disease & Diabetes

Preventing Organic Food Fraud

A growing number of consumers are willing to pay a premium for fruits, vegetables and other foods labeled “organic”, but whether they’re getting what the label claims is another matter. Now scientists at the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority and the Wuerzburg University in Germany are studying conventional and organic tomatoes are devising a new way to make sure farms are labeling their produce appropriately. Their report, which appears in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in August 2014, could help prevent organic food fraud.

Preserve the Harvest for Winter Meals and Holiday Gifts

By Melinda Myers

The cucumbers have filled the vegetable drawer, you’ve run out of cabbage recipes and your family is refusing to eat one more BLT. Or maybe you just couldn’t resist that special deal on a bushel of tomatoes, potatoes or apples at the farmer’s market. So what is a gardener or shopper to do with all that produce?

Is MSG Really Bad for You?

The American Chemical Society has debunked a long-running food myth about monosodium glutamate. More commonly known as MSG, the compound has had a bad reputation for nearly 50 years. The society felt it was time to clear its name. In a video, the chemists explain why the scientific consensus is that this flavor enhancer, known for its savory umami flavor, is perfectly safe for the vast majority of people.

Seafood Substitutions High In Mercury

New measurements from fish purchased at retail seafood counters in 10 different states show the extent to which mislabeling can expose consumers to unexpectedly high levels of mercury, a harmful pollutant.
Fishery stock “substitutions”—which falsely present a fish of the same species, but from a different geographic origin—are the most dangerous mislabeling offense, according to research by University of Hawai’i at Mānoa scientists and published in August 2014 in PLOS One.

Keeping Fillers Out of Coffee

Java lovers beware: Surprise ingredients that are neither sweet nor flavorful may be hiding in your coffee. Not only that, but growing coffee shortages may increase the chance of having these fillers in your cup of joe in the future. The good news, though, is that a highly accurate test is in the works to find coffee containing unwanted fillers before the beverage reaches stores and restaurants.

Cheese Still Loaded With Salt

The high salt content of cheese is a “global challenge”, according to research in the UK who published their findings in August 2014 in the online journal BMJ Open. A release from the publisher notes that a high dietary salt intake is linked to high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for stroke, heart attacks, heart failure and kidney disease. It also increases the risk of stomach cancer and osteoporosis, and is indirectly linked to obesity.

Fast Food Redeemed: Beyond Burgers and Fries

By Dr. Kevin J. McLaughlin

Across the United States, North America and throughout the world, the impact of the fast food industry has really overtaken our collective culinary culture. It has driven demand, competitive pricing for fast meals and disease rates right through the roof in the U.S.

To put it bluntly, fast food is one of the main reasons why Americans are getting fatter, sicker, and living with high morbidity as they age. This trend is also occurring within a much younger demographic than ever before.

Eating Out = Poorer Nutrition

Eating at both fast-food and full-service restaurants is associated with significant increases in the intake of calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, according to a study published August 7th 2014 online in Public Health Nutrition. The researchers found that on days when adults ate at a restaurant, they consumed about 200 additional total daily calories whether they ate at fast- food restaurants or at full-service restaurants.